Rethinking the old hypothesis that new housing construction has an impact on the vector control of Triatoma infestans: A Metapopulation Analysis.

Rethinking the old hypothesis that new housing construction has an impact on the vector control of Triatoma infestans: A Metapopulation Analysis. Acta Trop. 2020 Sep 20;:105717 Authors: Cavallo MJ, Amelotti I Abstract Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is a hematophagous insect, vector of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, etiological agent of the Chagas disease. In the south of La Rioja, Argentina, the persistent infestation by triatomines encouraged a program of construction of brand new dwellings in rural areas since 2008, to reduce infestation. According to the metapopulation theory approach, each dwelling was considered to be a patch with different degrees of quality concerning the availability of shelters for T. infestans. Accordingly, brand new dwellings (BNDs) are considered of lower quality for triatomines, compared to traditional dwellings (TDs). The main objective of this study was to analyse the occupancy in patches of different quality and to evaluate the effect of BNDs in the control of T. infestans. 397 patches from three departments of the southern part of La Rioja province were analysed during the period from 2014 to 2017. Six samplings were carried out to estimate the occupancy by T. infestans in patches assigned with different qualities. During the studied period, changes in the occupancy status of the patches among samplings were recorded, and the metapopulation variables which affect the occupancy of T. infe...
Source: Acta Tropica - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: research