Infestation by <I>Triatoma pallidipennis</I> (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) Is Associated with Housing Characteristics in Rural Mexico

Abstract

Long-term control of Chagas disease requires not only interruption of the human transmission cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi Schyzotrypanum, Chagas, 1909 by controlling its domestic triatomine vectors but also surveillance to prevent reinfestation of residences from sylvatic or persistent peridomestic populations. Although a number of potential risk factors for infestation have been implicated in previous studies, the explanatory power of resulting models has been low. Two years after cessation of triatomine vector control efforts in the town of Chalcatzingo, Morelos, 78 environmental, socioecological, and spatial variables were analyzed for association with infestation by Triatoma pallidipennis Stal 1872 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae), the principal vector of T. cruzi. We studied 712 residences in this rural community to identify specific intradomestic and peridomestic risk factors that predicted infestation with T. pallidipennis. From numerous characteristics that were identified as correlated with infestation, we derived multivariate logistic regression models to predict residences that were more or less likely to be infested with T. pallidipennis. The most important risk factors for infestation included measurements of house age, upkeep, and spatial location in the town. The effects of certain risk factors on infestation were found to be modified by spatial characteristics of residences. The results of this study provide new information regarding risk factors for infestation by T. pallidipennis that may aid in designing sustainable disease control programs in rural Mexico.

Entomological Indices, Feeding Sources, and Molecular Identification of Triatoma phyllosoma (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) One of the Main Vectors of Chagas Disease in the Istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico

“…[6][7][8] These species have been considered of epidemiological importance because of their domestic habits and high levels of infection with T. cruzi . [9][10][11][12] Triatomine classification is based on the morphological characteristics of adult specimens. However, this type of classification is complicated for closely related species because of the similarity of some of their characters.…”

Biological and genetic aspects of experimental hybrids from species of the Phyllosoma complex (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae)

“…Also, they used only the most widely distributed species of the complex (M. pallidipennis), which is sympatric with two species of the complex and parapatric with three other species of the complex ( Fig. 1) (Espinoza-Gómez et al 2002, Galvão et al 2003, Cohen et al 2006. Two decades later, Usinger et al (1966) supported this proposition and added M. longipennis to the list.…”

Housing structure including the surrounding environment as a risk factor for visceral leishmaniasis transmission in Nepal

“…Different studies showed evidence on the relationship between the location of openings (windows/doors) and vector movement [29], but very few analyzed other factors such as the construction age of houses, which has an important association with vector breeding [30]. In our study old houses (constructions more than 50 years old), were an important risk factor for VL as the age of the building is linked to other factors such as having cracks in walls/floors, infested roofs and walls, uneven-humped floors.…”