PRESENCIA DE Wolbachia y Leishmania EN UNA POBLACION DE Lutzomyia evansi PRESENTE EN LA COSTA CARIBE DE COLOMBIA

Lutzomyia evansi is important in public health for his role in the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Various studies have been developed on the natural populations of Lutzomyia evansi, however few studies have explored in depth the detection of symbiotic microorganisms (eg. Wolbachia) and simultaneously the presence of Leishmania sp. The endosymbiont Wolbachia has been proposed actually as biological control of insect vectors of various tropical diseases. In the present study the DNA of three species of sandflies collected in the municipality of Ovejas (Sucre Department) was evaluated for natural infection by Wolbachia and the presence of parasites of the Leishmania genus. The total DNA of 176 adult individuals of different species and 34 immature (larvae and pupae) of Lutzomyia evansi, was used to evaluate the detection by PCR amplification WSP gene (Major Surface Protein Wolbachia) and Leishmania infection by PCR amplification of  a segments of HPSN70 gene (Heat Shock Protein). A group of males naturally infected by Wolbachia and nine groups of females naturally infected with Leishmania were found, all associated with Lutzomyia evansi. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequence of WSP gene of Wolbachia indicates the location of the strain detected within the supergroup B (haplogroup wLeva) and its relation to previously reported haplotypes of Lutzomyia evansi and Lutzomya dubitans. A region of 418 bp of HSP-70N gene was sequenced and showed similarity with sequences of Leishmania after performing the analysis BlastN. The presence of Wolbachia in wild populations of of Lutzomyia evansi and the natural infection with Leishmania spp is confirmed.