Distribution of triatomine (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) vectors of Chagas disease in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

Chagas disease represents a significant public health problem in Mexico. In the state of Hidalgo, studies on the presence of triatomines are scarce and restricted to a few locations. To determine the risk of transmission in the state of Hidalgo and stratify the vector potential, the distribution of Triatominae was surveyed from 2015 to 2016 in collaboration with primary health care services and local communities. A total of 570 specimens was collected in 278 houses in 25 municipalities. The species of Triatominae detected were T. dimidiata with 391 samples, T. mexicana with 159 samples, T. gerstaeckeri with 17 samples, and T. barberi with three samples. The samples were collected in domestic and peridomestic areas. The general index of natural infection was 9.8%. Indices of colonization and crowding were determined for species and municipality and results were variable.

Triatoma pallidipennis (Stål, 1872) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) and its potential for infestation in Tecozautla, Hidalgo state, Mexico

“…In the state of Hidalgo, the presence of four Triatominae species has been reported, all naturally infected with T. cruzi (Salazar-Schettino et al 2010, Antonio-Campos et al 2019). Recently, the presence of a single specimen of T. pallidipennis was reported in the state (Chico-Avelino et al 2022), but it was not collected again until two years later.…”

“…Studies on the infection rate have reported to be 41.9% for Colima state and 51.4% in Michoacán state (Espinoza-Gómez et al 2002; Martínez-Ibarra et al 2011), but the infection percentage found in this study is low, similar to that reported for Morelos state with 7% for the peridomestic area (Bautista et al 1999). The low percentage of infection does not mean that there is no risk of transmission of T. cruzi to the population, the probability may be reduced, but the presence of infected patients in the Guadalupe community, and other infections with triatomine species such as T. mexicana (Antonio-Campos et al 2019), may increase the probability of exposure to the parasite.…”

“…The state of Hidalgo has a program to manage vector-borne diseases, using vector control personnel to visit communities in search of triatomines. Vector control personnel search for triatomines manually with an average sampling effort of one person/h/house as indicated by the Mexican Norm NOM-032-SSA2-2014 (Antonio-Campos et al 2019). The search was carried out during the day in the dwelling and the peridomicile environment around the dwelling, including the corrals of domestic animals.…”

“…According to its reproductive behavior, we suggest that the species has a high potential for infestation and can have a broad impact on public health. The difference in climates, altitudes, and environments showed that Hidalgo state could host different triatomine species with diverse behaviors (Antonio-Campos et al 2019).…”

Chemosensory Gene Expression for Two Closely Relative Species Rhodnius robustus and R. prolixus (Hemiptera, Reduviidade, Triatominae) Vectors of Chagas Disease

“…Chemical control campaigns have considerably reduced the prevalence of the disease due to this species vector. Therefore, in 2011, all previously endemic countries of Central America have been certified as free of Chagas disease transmission occurring due to R. prolixus (Hashimoto and Schofield, 2012), but it has been reported again in Mexico in 2019 (Antonio-Campos et al, 2019). R. prolixus is considered as fully domiciliated, but some researchers described the sylvatic populations of R. prolixus in Venezuela (Sanchez-Martin et al, 2006;Feliciangeli et al, 2007;Fitzpatrick et al, 2008) and Colombia (Guhl et al, 2009;Rendón et al, 2015).…”