Assessing methods for the density of Ttriatoma dimidiata, the principal vector of Chagas' disease in Guatemala

Abstract

We found a close relation between the number of Triatoma dimidiata collected by the man-hour method and the number of excrement spots of the vector on white paper placed on the wall for a week or more. The sticky trap, hiding box or animal trap was not effective for detecting T. dimidiata because of their dull and slow behavior. The flushing-out method is not effective either in estimating the density in the case of T. dimidiata, because T. dimidiata were not easily flushed-out from their hiding-places by spraying pyrethroid insecticides. We recommend use of the man-hour collection or the white paper method for assessing the density of T. dimidiata in Guatemala.