CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

AbstractTriatoma infestans, the main vector of Chagas disease in Southern Cone countries, frequently infests peridomestic structureshousing domestic animals. A total of 814 T. infestans collected from 35 different peridomestic sites in rural northwesternArgentina over 14 consecutive seasons was examined for recent blood meals and nutritional status. Bugs from goat or pigcorrals had lower qualitative nutritional status and mean weight to length ratios (W/L) than those captured in chicken coops.Males systematically had lower qualitative nutritional status and W/L than females. Using logistic multiple regression, the dailyfeeding rates of T. infestans were significantly associated with season and stage but not ecotope, whereas the proportion of wellfedbugs varied significantly with all three factors. The seasonal trends in feeding rates and nutritional status were consistentwith the local availability and breeding timing of domestic animals. The observed data fed into an empirical model predicted thatthe probability of flight initiation would peak in summer from pig or goat corrals, not chicken coops, and be insignificant in allecotopes in spring and fall. Male T. infestans outnumbered females as potential fliers. This is the first study conducted in welldefinedhabitat units that shows significant heterogeneities in the feeding rates and nutritional status of triatomine populationslinked to host demographics and management, and how these affect flight dispersal potential over seasons. Peridomestic bugpopulations are of great relevance as a source of domestic reinfestation and for the elimination of T. infestans.© 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Keywords: Triatoma infestans; Chagas disease; Vector control; Feeding; Population dynamics; Flight dispersal

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