-18- 



Lu . umbrati 1 is (Ward and Fraiha) since it was found resting on tree trunks 

 (Ward and Fraiha, 1977). However, the role of this sand fly as a 

 vector remained speculative, since attempts to infect a hamster with 

 the parasite failed. 



Lainson et aJL (1976), observed a 7% infection rate in " Lu . 

 anduzei " (now Lu . umbrati lis Ward and Fraiha) taken mostly from large 

 tree trunks during their studies of the epidemiology of "pian-bois" in 

 the Monte Dourado region, Para State, Brazil. Intradermal inoculations 

 of the flagellates into hamsters produced infections in all cases. 

 The parasite was shown to be identical biologically and biochemically 

 with that causing the disease in man. J_u. umbrati lis was subsequently 

 incriminated as the vector of L b_. guyanensis in the neighboring 

 state of Amazonas, Brazil, by Arias and Freitas in 1977. Lainson et 

 al . (1976) reported heavy promastigote infections in seven specimens 

 of Lu. whitmani (Antunes and Coutinho), another tree trunk-inhabiting 

 sand fly. Unlike Lu_. umbrati 1 is , this sand fly was not particularly 

 anthropophi 1 ic, however, and they suggested that its importance is 

 probably limited to secondary transmission among wild animal 

 reservoirs. 



Leishmania brazil iensis brazil iensis (mucocutaneous 

 leishmaniasis, "espundia"). Incrimination of sand fly vectors of L 

 b. brazi 1 iensis has been more difficult than with the other American 

 forms because of the poor growth of the parasite in laboratory animals 

 and in culture media, and because of difficulties in establishing 

 productive colonies of suspected vectors for transmission experiments. 

 Forattini et aj_. (1972), however, successfully infected hamsters with 

 promastigotes (believed to be L. b. brazil iensis) found in two 



