Distribution and ecological aspects of Rhodnius pallescens in Costa Rica and Nicaragua and their epidemiological implications

Abstract

In light of the Central American Initiative for the control of Chagas disease, efforts were made on the part of Costa Rican and Nicaraguan teams, working separately, to determine the present status of Rhodnius pallescens in areas close to the common border of the two countries, where the insect has appeared within the last few years. The opportunity was also used to establish whether R. prolixus, a vector present in some areas of Nicaragua, has been introduced in recent years into Costa Rica with Nicaraguan immigrants. It became evident that wild adults of R. pallescens are common visitors to houses in different towns of a wide area characterized as a humid, warm lowland, on both sides of the frontier. Up to the present, this bug has been able to colonize a small proportion of human dwellings only on the Nicaraguan side. There was strong evidence that the visitation of the adult bug to houses is related to the attraction of this species to electric lights. There were no indications of the presence of R. prolixus either in Nicaragua or in Costa Rica in this area of the Caribbean basin. Triatoma dimidiata, a widespread domestic species in both countries, was totally absent in the explored areas of Costa Rica but occasionally occurs on the Nicaraguan side. Serological surveys in children of both areas showed that transmission of Chagas disease takes place in a rather small degree in Costa Rica and more commonly in Nicaragua, indicating that R. pallescens could be a potential threat as a vector in this particular region.

Association of Anthropogenic Land Use Change and Increased Abundance of the Chagas Disease Vector Rhodnius pallescens in a Rural Landscape of Panama

“…[15][16][17][18][19] Trypanosoma cruzi , the agent of Chagas disease, is a major cause of heart disease and general morbidity among humans in Latin America, with estimates of 8-15 million infected persons. 20,21 Many studies have observed a close association between Rhodnius species, palms, and Chagas disease risk.…”

Conocimientos y factores de riesgo relacionados con la enfermedad de Chagas en dos comunidades panameñas donde Rhodnius pallescens es el vector principal

“…Este triatomino presenta esencialmente hábitos silvestres, aunque frecuentemente se desplaza al domicilio y peridomicilio en busca de alimento, atraído por la luz u otros factores no definidos totalmente (3,11). En Panamá se considera que la transmisión de Trypanosoma cruzi y Trypanosoma rangeli al humano se debe principalmente a la dispersión activa de los adultos infectados de R. pallescens desde su ecótopo natural en las coronas de las "palmas reales" (Attalea butyracea) hacia las viviendas rurales (3,12).…”

Quantification of the genetic change in the transition of Rhodnius pallescens Barber, 1932 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from field to laboratory

“…These insects are found in houses in Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica (Sousa 2002, Calzada et al 2006, Zeledón et al 2006, where vector-human contact is likely to increase (Calzada et al 2006, Zeledón et al 2006). The insect is frequently found in houses in Colombia, although colonies established inside of houses, known as house colonies, are rare ).…”