Abstrakt

Attractivity of volatile organic compounds from human skin odours to vectors of American tegumentary leishmaniasis

 Diva da Silva Tavares

 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from skin odours may offer chemical cues for anthropophilic insects, which includes vectors of infectious diseases, such malaria, dengue, yellow fever and leishmaniasis. Indeed, the skin represents the interface between blood feeding insects and human hosts. The knowledge about the ecological aspects that involves these chemical cues and its effects on insect´s orientation can be useful information to develop strategies on these diseases control. Actually, many studies have been concerned with the influence of skin odours in the attraction/repellence behavior of mosquitoes and it has been reported that skin odours are crucial for host selection by these insects. However, very little is known about how these odours can act upon phlebotomize sandflies, vectors of leishmaniasis, which are considered neglected diseases. The present work aimed to investigate compounds from human skin odours that can be attractive to sandflies. For such purpose it was developed a sampling method for human skin odours collection and extraction, which facilitates the sampling in the field.