Occurrence of synanthropic triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in the Federal District of Brazil

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 71 - 76
• Main Authors: Maeda, Maicon Hitoshi, Knox, Monique Britto, Gurgel-Gonçalves, Rodrigo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 01-02-2012; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical - SBMT; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Animals; Brasil; Brazil; Chagas Disease - transmission; Controle da doença de Chagas; Disease control; Distrito Federal; Dry season; Entomology; Housing; Humans; Insect Vectors - classification; Insect Vectors - parasitology; Population Density; Rain; Rainy season; Rural areas; Seasons; Triatominae - classification; Triatominae - parasitology; Triatomíneos sinatrópicos; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Trypanosoma cruzi - isolation & purification; Urban areas; Vector-borne diseases; Vigilância entomológica; Brazil; Controle da doença de Chagas; Brasil; Synanthropic triatomines; Vigilância entomológica; Chagas disease control; Entomological surveillance; Triatomíneos sinatrópicos; Brazil; Federal District; Distrito Federal
• ISSN: 0037-8682; 1678-9849; 1678-9849; 0037-8682
• DOI: 10.1590/S0037-86822012000100014

Entomological surveillance of Chagas disease in the Federal District of Brazil (DF), has recorded the following triatomine species: Panstrongylus megistus, P. geniculatus, P. diasi, Rhodnius neglectus, Triatoma pseudomaculata, and T. sordida. We aimed to analyze the spatial and temporal occurrence of triatomine species collected in DF, and their indices of natural infection with trypanosomes.
The Health State Secretariat of DF recorded triatomines between 2002 and 2010 in 20 administrative regions. This retrospective analysis considered the number of adults and nymphs of each species collected and infected in both intradomicile and peridomicile.
A total of 754 triatomines were collected in 252 reported domiciles. Panstrongylus megistus was the most frequent species (65%), followed by T. pseudomaculata (14%). Of the 309 examined insects, only 3 (1%) specimens of P. megistus were infected with flagellates morphologically similar to Trypanosoma cruzi. The spatial occurrence indicated a higher diversity of triatomines and frequency of T. sordida in rural areas. Moreover, there was a predominance of P. megistus in urban areas. The number of records of P. megistus in the rainy season was two times higher than that during the dry season. The largest number of triatomines was collected in November.
The presence of P. megistus specimens infected with trypanosomes in domiciles, shows the potential risk of human infection in DF. Thus, it is essential to continue entomological surveillance, intensifying it in the rainy season and in regions of greater occurrence.