Abstract. In Colombia, the main vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, are Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma dimidiata. T. dimidiata is present in the east region of Colombia as domestic, peridomestic, and sylvatic populations, resulting in difficulties for its control. A cost-effective way to prioritize houses for treatment is to stratify houses based on risk factors. In this study, risk factors were evaluated for potential associations with domicile infestation of T. dimidiata. There was an increased likelihood of domestic infestation associated with the presence of mixed roofs (odds ratio [OR] = 36.14, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 12.21-106.97), cats (OR = 3.94, 95% CI = 1.36-11.38), rock piles (OR = 5.28, 95% CI = 1.64-16.98), and bushes with height above 10 m (OR = 11.21, 95% CI = 2.08-60.45). These factors could be used to target surveillance and control of T. dimidiata to houses with an increased risk of being infested.

Abstract. Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is a secondary vector of Trypanosoma cruzi in Colombia and represents an important epidemiological risk mainly in the central and oriental regions of the country where it occupies sylvatic, peridomestic, and intradomestic ecotopes, and because of this complex distribution, its distribution and abundance could be conditioned by environmental factors. In this work, we explored the relationship between T. dimidiata distribution and environmental factors in the northwest, northeast, and central zones of Colombia and developed predictive models of infestation in the country. The associations between the presence of T. dimidiata and environmental variables were studied using logistic regression models and ecological niche modeling for a sample of villages in Colombia. The analysis was based on the information collected in field about the presence of T. dimidiata and the environmental data for each village extracted from remote sensing images. The presence of Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille, 1811) was found to be significantly associated with the maximum vegetation index, minimum land surface temperature (LST), and the digital elevation for the statistical model. Temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, and vegetation index were the variables that most influenced the ecological niche model of T. dimidiata distribution. The logistic regression model showed a good fit and predicted suitable habitats in the Andean and Caribbean regions, which agrees with the known distribution of the species, but predicted suitable habitats in the Pacific and Orinoco regions proposing new areas of research. Improved models to predict suitable habitats for T. dimidiata hold promise for spatial targeting of integrated vector management.

Contribución de los autores:Óscar Quirós-Gómez: concepción y diseño del estudio, recolección y resumen de información bibliográfica y escritura del manuscrito Nicolás Jaramillo: recolección de información bibliográfica y escritura del manuscrito Víctor M. Angulo: análisis e interpretación de datos Gabriel Parra-Henao: concepción y diseño del estudio, análisis e interpretación de datos y escritura del manuscrito Todos los autores participaron en la revisión del manuscrito. Triatoma dimidiata es un importante vector de la enfermedad de Chagas en Centroamérica y en los países del norte de Suramérica. En Colombia, tiene una amplia distribución y su presencia se ha reportado en 14 departamentos de las regiones Andina, Caribe, de los Llanos Orientales y del Alto Magdalena, en las cuales ocupa diferentes ecótopos naturales y artificiales. La especie está clasificada como secundaria para la transmisión de Trypanosoma cruzi; sin embargo, su presencia en el ambiente silvestre, peridoméstico y doméstico en la región Andina, y su capacidad de movilizarse entre ellos, le han permitido escapar al control basado en la aspersión con piretroides y ello resalta su importancia en el mantenimiento de la transmisión del parásito debido a la potencial reinfestación de las viviendas. La comprensión de las relaciones de T. dimidiata con su hábitat, así como el empoderamiento de la comunidad, contribuyen al desarrollo de sistemas de control efectivos y perdurables. El propósito de esta revisión fue describir la distribución, los factores de riesgo, la ecología, las características entomológicas y los hábitats de las poblaciones de T. dimidiata en Colombia, y proponer alternativas de intervención acordes con las características particulares de esta especie. Triatoma dimidiata in Colombia: Distribution, ecology and epidemiological importanceTriatoma dimidiata is an important vector of Chagas disease in Central America and countries of northern South America. In Colombia, it has a wide geographical distribution with reported presence in 14 departments in the Andean, Caribbean, Eastern plains and Upper Magdalena regions, where it occupies different natural and artificial ecotopes. The species is considered a secondary vector in the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi. Its presence in wild, peridomestic and intradomiciliary habitats in the Andean region, coupled with its ability to move between them, has allowed it to escape the control based on pyrethroids spraying, highlighting its importance in maintaining transmission of the parasite through the potential reinfestation of homes. Understanding the relation of T. dimidiata and its habitats, as well as the empowerment of communities, will contribute to the development of effective and lasting control systems. The purpose of this review was to describe the distribution, risk factors, ecology, entomological features and habitats of T. dimidiata populations in Colombia, and to propose alternative interventions in agreement with the specific characteristics of the species.

Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) and Cryptococcus gattii (Cg) cause cryptococcosis, a life-threatening systemic mycosis of global distribution affecting mainly immunocompromised adults. Although a humoral response occurs during cryptococcosis, the role of antibody production against this mycosis is not fully understood. We aimed to determine total and specific antibodies against cryptococcal protein antigens in sera from people with and without diagnosis of cryptococcosis from Colombia. Using ELISA, total and specific levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA and IgM were determined in sera from children and adults with (n = 109) and without (n = 119) cryptococcosis. Specific antibodies were those binding Cn- and Cg-protein antigens. In general, the mean of the total IgG production was higher in cryptococcosis patients than in controls (13 942.32 vs. 6459.91 µg/ml), while levels of IgA (488.13 vs. 1564.53 µg/ml) and IgM (775.69 vs. 1014.72 µg/ml) were higher in controls than in cryptococcosis patients (p ≤ 0.05). In patients with cryptococcosis, total IgG, IgA and IgM levels were higher in HIV + compared with HIV- (p ≤ 0.05). Specific antibodies tended to be higher in cryptococcosis patients than in controls and in adults than in children, with a positive correlation between antibody reactivity and age. All immunoglobulins were more reactive against Cn-proteins than Cg-proteins. Overall, a positive weak correlation between total and specific antibodies was found, although not always statistically significant. In patients with cryptococcosis from Colombia, the levels of immunoglobulins, total and specific, differ with respect to people without cryptococcosis. Variations in antibody production among adults and children with cryptococcosis and between Cn- and Cg-protein antigens were as well established. Our findings encourage further studies to determine the role of humoral immunity for host defence against cryptococcosis.

Antecedentes:  la variabilidad en el peso del recién nacido ya sea como bajo peso o macrosomía, puede ocasionar morbimortalidad infantil y materna, además de ser un predictor del estado de salud a lo largo de la vida. Objetivo: determinar factores sociodemográficos, antecedentes patológicos, exposición a sustancias psicoactivas, actividad física y características alimentarias de la madre relacionados con el peso de los recién nacidos atendidos en una IPS, Medellín 2018. Materiales y métodos: estudio de cohorte con información de madres seguidas hasta el nacimiento de los bebés. Resultados: la edad promedio de las maternas fue de 24±6 años, el peso promedio del recién nacido fue 3150 g. Embarazo previo, consumo de lácteos y derivados, consumo de proteínas y de suplementos dietarios fueron factores presentes en madres de recién nacidos con mayor peso. Haber fumado alguna vez en la vida, antecedente de preeclampsia, parto previo, aborto en el último embarazo y consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados se presentaron en madres de recién nacidos con menor peso. Conclusiones: se recomienda a las gestantes limitar el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados, supervisar el consumo de lácteos y derivados, proteínas y suplementos dietarios en madres con embarazos previos, antecedente de preclamsia, abortos o hábitos como haber fumado.