Aiming to evaluate the diversity of hematophagous insects and sylvan
vertebrates, as well as the arbovirus fauna present in the area, a longitudinal
study was performed in the Salobo Project area, Mineral Province of Carajas,
Pará state, Brazil, between December 2005 and June 2007 (seven scientific
expeditions), before the action of mineral extraction be launched. Insects
belonging to the families Ceratopogonidae, Culicidae, Psychodidae, and
Simulidae were collected using the miniature CDC and Shannon light traps, and
human bait; sylvan vertebrates (birds, small mammals and reptilians) were also
captured in the are using Shermann and Tommahwak traps. Biological
specimens from insects and vertebrates were used to attempt of virus isolation
in suckling mice, while the vertebrate serum samples to determine the antibody
prevalence to 19 arboviruses by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests. A total of
44,795 (1,220 lots) hematophagous insects were collected, mostly of
Psychodidae. The most abundant species of Culicidae were Haemagogus
leucocelaenus and Haemgogus janthinomys; a total of 1,288 vertebrates were
also captured; the rodents Proechimys guyannensis and Oryzomys capito, and
the birds Turdus albicolis and Phlegopsis nigromaculata were the most
prevalent species in the area. Three Tucunduba virus strains were isolated from
lots of Anopheles (Nys.) sp., Culex coronator and Wyeomyia sp. HI antibodies
were found to Bussuquara virus, Cacipacore virus, Icoaraci virus, Ilheus virus,
Mucambo virus Rocio virus, Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), and western
equine encephalitis virus. The most prevalent arbovirus by HI was the SLEV.
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