Comparison of black fly species (Diptera: Simuliidae) on an Amerindian reservation with a high prevalence of fogo selvagem to neighboring disease-free sites in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The Cooperative Group on Fogo Selvagem Research

Abstract

Fogo selvagem is an autoimmune blistering skin disease that principally occurs among rural Brazilians living in geographically clumped disease foci. Exposure to hematophagous black flies possibly is related to the cause of the disease. We compared the occurrence, proportions, and richness of simuliid species immatures and the biting activity of adult females within a recently discovered, high prevalence focus of fogo selvagem, the Limão Verde Terena Reservation, to that of neighboring regions with no reported cases of fogo selvagem. Nine black fly species were collected from 12 stream sites during 5 trips to the fogo selvagem focus. The species showed longitudinal (upstream-downstream) trends in occurrence, proportions, and richness, and the abundance of simuliid immatures was greater at downstream sites. The most prevalent species at the focus, Simulium nigrimanum (Macquart), dominated the stream sites with highly abundant simuliid assemblages, and was the most common black fly in human bait collections. This species was absent or in very low numbers in neighboring valleys and villages that did not have cases of fogo selvagem.