An area believed to be an autochthonous focus for Chagas' disease was investigated in th e m unicipality of Caxias
The im portunt epidemiological Information obtained from this investigation was the discovery of domestic a d a p ta tio n of T. infestans in an area w ith dense population .and w ith very low social anã sanitary conditions, in a locality considered as non-endem ic for the infection.
INTRODU CTIONThe presence of triatom ine bugs in fected with T. cruzi in th e Rio de J a neiro State was first reported by Neiva (6) in 1914, and again by Neiva and Pinto (7) (3) described a localized /'focus of Chagas' disease close to the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the m unicipality of Caxias. Out of 33 houses searched, 18 were found infested by T. infestans, and in several of the insects * T h is w ork was su p p o rte d w ith fu n d s fro m th e C onselho N acional de P esq u isas of B razil, fro m th e M in istry of O verseas D ev elo p m en t, L ondon, a n d from th e W orld H e a lth O rg an izatio n . ** Professor of T ro p ic a l M edicine, H ead of D e p a rta m e n t of P re v e n tiv e M edicine, F e d e ra l U n iv ersity of Rio d e Ja n e iro . *** C o n s u lta n t in M edicai P arasito lo g y on se c o n d e m e n t to th e F ed eral U n iv ersity o f R io d e J a n e iro from th e M in istry of O verseas D ev elo p m en t, L ondon, u n d e r th e A n g lo -B razilian A greeent on T eçh-nical C o o p e ratio n . S u b m itte d to p u b lic a tio n o n 2.Í0.197S.