Key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in Northwestern Argentina: implications for vector control.
BACKGROUND:Triatoma infestans -the principal vector of the infection that causes Chagas disease- defies elimination efforts in the Gran Chaco region. This study identifies the types of human-made or -used structures that are key sources of these bugs in the initial stages of house reinfestation afte...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2014-10-01
|
| Series: | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4191936?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1828515879218839552 |
|---|---|
| author | Ricardo E Gürtler María C Cecere María Del Pilar Fernández Gonzalo M Vazquez-Prokopec Leonardo A Ceballos Juan M Gurevitz Uriel Kitron Joel E Cohen |
| author_facet | Ricardo E Gürtler María C Cecere María Del Pilar Fernández Gonzalo M Vazquez-Prokopec Leonardo A Ceballos Juan M Gurevitz Uriel Kitron Joel E Cohen |
| author_sort | Ricardo E Gürtler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND:Triatoma infestans -the principal vector of the infection that causes Chagas disease- defies elimination efforts in the Gran Chaco region. This study identifies the types of human-made or -used structures that are key sources of these bugs in the initial stages of house reinfestation after an insecticide spraying campaign. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We measured demographic and blood-feeding parameters at two geographic scales in 11 rural communities in Figueroa, northwest Argentina. Of 1,297 sites searched in spring, 279 (21.5%) were infested. Bug abundance per site and female fecundity differed significantly among habitat types (ecotopes) and were highly aggregated. Domiciles (human sleeping quarters) had maximum infestation prevalence (38.7%), human-feeding bugs and total egg production, with submaximal values for other demographic and blood-feeding attributes. Taken collectively peridomestic sites were three times more often infested than domiciles. Chicken coops had greater bug abundance, blood-feeding rates, engorgement status, and female fecundity than pig and goat corrals. The host-feeding patterns were spatially structured yet there was strong evidence of active dispersal of late-stage bugs between ecotopes. Two flight indices predicted that female fliers were more likely to originate from kitchens and domiciles, rejecting our initial hypothesis that goat and pig corrals would dominate. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE:Chicken coops and domiciles were key source habitats fueling rapid house reinfestation. Focusing control efforts on ecotopes with human-fed bugs (domiciles, storerooms, goat corrals) would neither eliminate the substantial contributions to bug population growth from kitchens, chicken coops, and pig corrals nor stop dispersal of adult female bugs from kitchens. Rather, comprehensive control of the linked network of ecotopes is required to prevent feeding on humans, bug population growth, and bug dispersal simultaneously. Our study illustrates a demographic approach that may be applied to other regions and triatomine species for the design of innovative, improved vector control strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T18:19:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a67a15fef2ec4870a7c47faf9ccedf0e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1935-2727 1935-2735 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T18:19:06Z |
| publishDate | 2014-10-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-a67a15fef2ec4870a7c47faf9ccedf0e2022-12-22T00:55:20ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352014-10-01810e323810.1371/journal.pntd.0003238Key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in Northwestern Argentina: implications for vector control.Ricardo E GürtlerMaría C CecereMaría Del Pilar FernándezGonzalo M Vazquez-ProkopecLeonardo A CeballosJuan M GurevitzUriel KitronJoel E CohenBACKGROUND:Triatoma infestans -the principal vector of the infection that causes Chagas disease- defies elimination efforts in the Gran Chaco region. This study identifies the types of human-made or -used structures that are key sources of these bugs in the initial stages of house reinfestation after an insecticide spraying campaign. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We measured demographic and blood-feeding parameters at two geographic scales in 11 rural communities in Figueroa, northwest Argentina. Of 1,297 sites searched in spring, 279 (21.5%) were infested. Bug abundance per site and female fecundity differed significantly among habitat types (ecotopes) and were highly aggregated. Domiciles (human sleeping quarters) had maximum infestation prevalence (38.7%), human-feeding bugs and total egg production, with submaximal values for other demographic and blood-feeding attributes. Taken collectively peridomestic sites were three times more often infested than domiciles. Chicken coops had greater bug abundance, blood-feeding rates, engorgement status, and female fecundity than pig and goat corrals. The host-feeding patterns were spatially structured yet there was strong evidence of active dispersal of late-stage bugs between ecotopes. Two flight indices predicted that female fliers were more likely to originate from kitchens and domiciles, rejecting our initial hypothesis that goat and pig corrals would dominate. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE:Chicken coops and domiciles were key source habitats fueling rapid house reinfestation. Focusing control efforts on ecotopes with human-fed bugs (domiciles, storerooms, goat corrals) would neither eliminate the substantial contributions to bug population growth from kitchens, chicken coops, and pig corrals nor stop dispersal of adult female bugs from kitchens. Rather, comprehensive control of the linked network of ecotopes is required to prevent feeding on humans, bug population growth, and bug dispersal simultaneously. Our study illustrates a demographic approach that may be applied to other regions and triatomine species for the design of innovative, improved vector control strategies.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4191936?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Ricardo E Gürtler María C Cecere María Del Pilar Fernández Gonzalo M Vazquez-Prokopec Leonardo A Ceballos Juan M Gurevitz Uriel Kitron Joel E Cohen Key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in Northwestern Argentina: implications for vector control. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| title | Key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in Northwestern Argentina: implications for vector control. |
| title_full | Key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in Northwestern Argentina: implications for vector control. |
| title_fullStr | Key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in Northwestern Argentina: implications for vector control. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in Northwestern Argentina: implications for vector control. |
| title_short | Key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in Northwestern Argentina: implications for vector control. |
| title_sort | key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in northwestern argentina implications for vector control |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4191936?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ricardoegurtler keysourcehabitatsandpotentialdispersaloftriatomainfestanspopulationsinnorthwesternargentinaimplicationsforvectorcontrol AT mariaccecere keysourcehabitatsandpotentialdispersaloftriatomainfestanspopulationsinnorthwesternargentinaimplicationsforvectorcontrol AT mariadelpilarfernandez keysourcehabitatsandpotentialdispersaloftriatomainfestanspopulationsinnorthwesternargentinaimplicationsforvectorcontrol AT gonzalomvazquezprokopec keysourcehabitatsandpotentialdispersaloftriatomainfestanspopulationsinnorthwesternargentinaimplicationsforvectorcontrol AT leonardoaceballos keysourcehabitatsandpotentialdispersaloftriatomainfestanspopulationsinnorthwesternargentinaimplicationsforvectorcontrol AT juanmgurevitz keysourcehabitatsandpotentialdispersaloftriatomainfestanspopulationsinnorthwesternargentinaimplicationsforvectorcontrol AT urielkitron keysourcehabitatsandpotentialdispersaloftriatomainfestanspopulationsinnorthwesternargentinaimplicationsforvectorcontrol AT joelecohen keysourcehabitatsandpotentialdispersaloftriatomainfestanspopulationsinnorthwesternargentinaimplicationsforvectorcontrol |