Re-infestation of houses by Triatoma dimidiata after intradomicile insecticide application in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Abstract

In most countries, Chagas disease transmission control remains based on domestic insecticide application. We thus evaluated the efficacy of infra-domicile cyfluthrin spraying for the control of Triatoma dimidiata, the only Chagas disease vector in the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico, and monitored potential re-infestation every 15 days for up to 9 months. We found that there was a re-infestation of houses by adult bugs starting 4 months after insecticide application, possibly from sylvatic/peridomicile areas. This points out the need to take into account the potential dispersal of sylvatic/peridomestic adult bugs into the domiciles as well as continuity action for an effective vector control.