Comparison of techniques for detection of domestic infestations with Triatoma infestans in Brazil

Abstract

The detection of infestations of Triatominae in houses in regions endemic for Chagas's disease is a criterion frequently used in the selection of areas, or of individual houses, for treatment in insecticide campaigns as well as in the evaluation of insecticide performance. Several different methods for detecting domestic infestations with Triatominae were compared: night capture, capture of five bugs with the aid of a flushing-out agent and use of card boxes of the Gómez-Núñez type. The flushing-out and Gómez-Núñez box methods were found to be equally sensitive, although each failed to detect some infestations which the other detected. The night capture method was slightly more sensitive but was found to be impractical for insecticide trials. Improvement to the flushing-out method, notably the introduction of a systematic search technique, made it much more sensitive than the Gómez-Núñez box method for heavily infested houses and for houses three months after insecticide treatment. Although the sensitivity of the Gómez-Núñez box method increases when the boxes are left in place for a long time, this also limits the value of the information obtained regarding the evaluation of insecticides. On the basis of the results presented, the flushing-out method using a systematic search of the house was found to be the most suitable sampling technique, but it is recognized that this method still has limitations.

Occurrence of hybrids and laboratory evidence of fertility among three species of the Phyllosoma complex (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Mexico

“…and the ecotopes in human dwellings using the person per hour technique (Pinchin et al 1981). Indoor (domestic) sites consisted of the interior of the houses and attached buildings, whereas outdoor (peridomestic) sites were those located within 50 m of the actual living quarters of the inhabitants (Martínez-Ibarra et al 2001, 2008a and wild habitats were considered those sites further than 50 m from the actual living quarters of the inhabitants.…”

Vigilancia de la presencia de triatominos mediante gallineros en el sur de Jalisco, México

“…Con el fin de eliminar los ejemplares de triatominos presentes en cada vivienda, y así corroborar la existencia de un fenómeno de invasión activa por triatominos, previamente al inicio del establecimiento de los gallineros, en cada casa se revisó durante una hora/hombre en búsqueda de triatominos, siguiendo el método de Pinchin (24), con el auxilio de un ligero rociamiento (menos de un minuto) con piretroides. Los ejemplares capturados fueron recolectados en recipientes, separados por vivienda y trasladados al laboratorio.…”

“…Las viviendas se revisaron con la misma frecuencia, pero por un lapso de una hora/hombre (24). Como medida complementaria, se pidió a los moradores de las viviendas bajo estudio que capturaran todos los triatominos que detectaran dentro de sus viviendas.…”

Role of two Triatoma (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) species in the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) to man in the West Coast of Mexico

“…Five field trips of one week each (August 1997, October 1997, December 1997-January 1998, April-May 1998, August 1998 were made to investigate the natural ecotopes of bugs (birds nests, hollow trees and cracks, holes in the ground, railing, piles of stone, etc.) and the domicile ecotopes on human dwellings, using the person per hour technique (Pinchin et al 1981). Indoors (domestic) sites consisted of the interior of the houses and annexed buildings meanwhile outdoors (peridomestic) sites were located within 50 m of the actual living quarters of the inhabitants (Bautista et al 1999), and wild habitats were considered those sites over 50 m far from the actual living quarters of the inhabitants.…”