Development of a device to capture Triatoma infestans , a vector of Chagas disease : performance of a baited sticky climbing trap in the presence of a host

DI BENEDETTO, I.M. DESIREE; MARTÍNEZ BENINGAZA, ANDREA; IBARRA BOUZADA, LUCÍA M.E.; GUERENSTEIN, PABLO G.

Buenos Aires

Congreso; VII Congress of the Latin America of Chemical Ecology; 2023

IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET

In South America, the hematophagous insect Triatoma infestans is the primary vector of Chagas disease. While available bug detection methods exhibit low sensitivity t he interruption of vector borne transmission through insecticide use currently ha s limited impact. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performan ce of a sticky climbing trap (CT) baited with a synthetic host odor lure L (+) lactic acid, valeric acid, and ammonia plus a yeast culture (a mixture of dry yeast, sucrose, and water as a source of CO 2 ( to attract and capture T. infestans in the presence of a host. The traps were tested in three experimental boxes (EB1 3) simultaneously . EB1 contained, at one side , a CT with a mouse C+C+) and at the opposite side an empty CT (C EB 2 contained a CT with the synthetic odor bait (T) and an empty CT (C --)). EB3 contained a CT with T and a CT with (C+) In each experimental box, 10 fourth instar starved nymphs of T. infestans were released E xperiments lasted a single night and e ight replicates were conducted. In EB1 C+ captured 65% of the bugs while C 20%. In EB2 T captured 20 % of the bugs while C 10 %. In EB3 C+ captured 45% of the bugs while T 35%. The CT baited with synthetic odor is effective in capturing T. infestans in the presence of a natural host . Moreover, in these conditions t he capture by T is higher respect to the capture obtained in absence of host (may be due to an increased activation of the insects), and this is accompanied by a decrease in the capture by C+ respect to the capture obtained when T was absent . The data obta ined so far suggest that the trap baited with synthetic odor is effective in the presence of a host. These results are encouraging for optimizing a bug surveillance tool.