Indicadores de infestación, colonización e infección de Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) en Campeche, México / Indicators of infestation, colonization and infection of Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Campeche, México

ABSTRACT

Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille) is considered to be one of the primary vectors of Chagas disease in Southern Mexico and Central America. The objective of the present study was to obtain ecological information on T. dimidiata in two rural communities of Campeche, Mexico, where the vector is poorly studied. Our work consisted of monthly samplings carried out during one-year time at three levels sylvatic, peridomestic and intradomestic, in order to estimate the population abundance of this species and its rate of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Triatoma dimidiata was the unique vector of this disease collected in San Juan Bautista Sakcabchen (SJBS) and Crucero San Luis (CSL). The total of 145 individuals were captured in SJBS; from these, 26.9 percent, 20 percent and 53.1 percent were collected in the sylvatic, peridomestic and intradomestic area, respectively. In CSL captures yielded 108 individuals 40.7 percent in the sylvatic area, 20.4 percent peridomestic and 38.9 percent intradomestic. We found no correlation between climatic variables and population abundance of T. dimidiata. Dataset obtained suggests that individuals from the sylvatic area exhibit a high rate of natural infection by T. cruzi, with monthly percentages up to 61.5 percent for SJBS and 50 percent for CSL. At the peri and intradomestic level, the reservoirs apparently play an important role in the transmission, as the seroprevalence in dogs was 61.5 percent y 65.4 percent, for SJBS y CSL, respectively. Based on these findings, it was concluded that inhabitants of both communities are at a high risk of Chagas disease infection.