Infección natural de chinches Triatominae con Trypanosoma cruzi asociadas a la vivienda humana en México

Abstract

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of infection withTrypanosoma cruzi in Triatominae species frequently found inand around Mexican dwellings, and to assess the frequencyof Triatominae in towns by state. Material and methods.Between January 1993 and December 1999, 5 399 Triatominaebugs from 14 states of Mexico, were received in theDepartment of Entomology of the Institute for EpidemiologicDiagnosis and Referral (InDRE), for taxonomic determinationand parasitoscopical search of Trypanosoma cruzi.Results obtained between 1993 and 1999 were analyzedglobally. Results. From 13 bug species associated with humandwellings, nine were naturally infected with T. cruzi. Thehighest percentage of infection occurred in Triatoma pallidipennis,T. picturata, Rhodnius prolixus and T. longipennis. Nayarit,Morelos, and Michoacán were the states with thehighest percentage of infected bugs. The species T. dimidiata,T. gerstaeckeri, T. longipennis, T. mexicana and T. pallidipennis werefirst state records and Pastrongylus rufotuberculatus was afirst local record. Conclusions. These findings stress theimportance of studying the biology of Triatominae and theneed for permanent surveillance, to allow for up-to-datedistribution records of Triatominae species in and aroundhuman dwellings, those adapting to human dwellings, andfrequencies of those naturally infected by T. cruzi.