Identificación de Dípteros Nematóceros de interés médico en zonas aledañas a la construcción de la Represa Hidroeléctrica Toachi-Pilatón

The presence of hydroelectric dams has been associated with major environmental changes and may have an effect in the transmission of parasitic and vector-borne diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis, several arboviruses and other consequences in health. In 2009, the construction of the Toachi-Pilaton dam started in Ecuador and herein we report a pilot entomological surveillance of the Nematocerous Dipterans of medical interest collected at various localities close to the construction site. The presence of at least two anopheline species (Anopheles neivai and An. albimanus) and one sand fly species (Lutzomyia trapidoi), that have been previously incriminated as vectors of malaria and leishmaniasis respectively, suggests a potential risk of disease transmission. Several species of the biting midge of the genus Culicoides were also found. The abundance of blackflies of the genus Simulium found close to rivers and running water constitute a real nuisance to field workers and inhabitants of the area. Results from pilot questionnaires in two nearby communities (Praderas del Toachi and Palo Quemado) indicate that although most of the inhabitants are aware of the presence of these insects, few of them know about the diseases that they could potentially transmit and very few people tend to use bed nets. We recommend to follow up on this pilot surveillance with new studies in the future to measure possible effects of the presence of the dam on the transmission of vector-borne diseases and on vector populations.