Which species of Rhodnius is invading houses in Brazil?
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
C J Schofield
Publications and source records attributed to C J Schofield.
A cost-benefit analysis of Chagas disease control in north-western Argentina.
Chagas disease has been controlled in the Department of Anta, Province of Salta, Argentina, through a series of vector control interventions beginning in 1983. Based on data from this programme, together with estimates of the value of benefits accruing to the programme due to avoidance of new cases of Chagas disease, we present an analysis of costs and benefits of the vector control interventions. Under all assumptions, the interventions have been highly profitable from a societal point of view, with an internal rate of return in excess of 60%. The net present value of benefits accruing to the programme is estimated to be above US$7 million.
Acute Disease↗
Control of Chagas disease vectors.
Most Latin American countries are making dramatic progress in controlling Chagas disease, through a series of national and international initiatives focusing on elimination of domestic populations of Triatominae, improved screening of blood donors, and clinical support and treatment of persons infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Some countries, particularly Uruguay, Chile and Brazil, are sufficiently advanced in their programmes to initiate detailed planning of the subsequent phases of Chagas disease control, while others such as Peru, Ecuador, and Mexico, are currently applying only the initial phases of the control campaigns. In this review, we seek to provide a brief history of the campaigns as a basis for discussion of future interventions. Our aim is to relate operational needs to the underlying biological aspects that have made Chagas disease so serious in Latin America but have also revealed the epidemiological vulnerability of this disease. The English version of this paper is available too at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.
Animals↗
A key for identifying faecal smears to detect domestic infestations of triatomine bugs.
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Animals↗
[The control of the transmission by transfusion of Chagas' disease in the Southern Cone Initiative].
The Southern Cone Initiative against Chagas' disease, was launched in 1991. The aim was to interrupt the transmission of Chagas disease by elimination of domestic populations of the major vector, Triatoma infestans, and by improved screening of blood donors. As a result of these activities, a marked reduction in the risk of transfusional transmission can now be seen throughout the programme area. In addition to specific legislation concerning the quality of transfused blood, a series of national and regional reference laboratories have been set up with the help of PAHO in order to improve the quality of pre-transfusional serodiagnosis. Results indicate a progressive reduction in the overall infection prevalence of blood donors, and show that the age-prevalence curve has shifted towards older age-groups. In this paper we analyse the changes in infection prevalence in the Southern Cone countries, drawing attention to the situation in Bolivia which has the highest indices of infection and lowest levels of coverage by the control programme. In this situation chemoprophylaxis of blood prior to transfusion may be recommended in accordance with PAHO criteria. In the medium term however, interruption of human Chagas disease transmission may be expected over most of the Southern Cone region, as long as the control activities are continued and consolidated through effective epidemiological surveillance.
Blood Donors↗
Excito-repellency effect of deltamethrin on triatomines under laboratory conditions.
This work demonstrates that deltamethrin in low doses produces an excito-repellency effect on triatomines, as already observed for mosquitoes. A wooden box covered with a cloth impregnated with deltamethrin at doses of 2.5 and 5mg ai/m2 was utilized for the experiment. The triatomine species studied were Triatoma infestans, Panstrongylus megistus, Rhodnius neglectus and Triatoma sordida. Adults were released in one of the sides of the box and their position was noted in subsequent periods. The observations were realized on the day the cloth was impregnated and subsequently repeated at 30 and 60 days for T. sordida; on day 120, the remaining species were included. Insect mortality and attempts at flight from the box were also observed. Excito-repellency was evident for all species and doses up to day 120. The only species that attempted to fly was P. megistus. The excito-repellency effect may be considered as an additional advantage to the insecticide power, as it should be able to prevent the installation of new colonies by females that fly into the homes, and at the moment of the spraying, it should promote the flushing out of triatomines from the wall crevices and from other shelters.
Animals↗
[Priority research on Chagas' disease in the Amazonia Region: a short-medium term agenda].
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Chagas Disease↗
A cost-benefit analysis of Chagas disease control.
Chagas disease transmission can be effectively interrupted by insecticidal control of its triatomine bug vectors. We present here a simple model comparing the costs and benefits of such a programme, designed to eliminate domestic populations of Triatoma infestans throughout its known area of distribution over the seven southernmost countries of Latin America. The model has been simplified to require only four financial estimates relating to the unit cost of housing spraying and benefits due to avoidance of premature death in the acute phase of the disease, avoidance of supportive treatment and care in the chronic phase of the disease, and avoidance of corrective digestive and cardiac surgery. Except for these direct medical costs, all other potential benefits have been ignored. Nevertheless, the model shows that the direct financial benefits of such a programme would far outweigh the costs, and the project would support a remarkably high internal rate of return under the least optimistic estimates.
Animals↗
Systematics of Triatoma sordida, T. guasayana and T. patagonica (Hemiptera, Reduviidae).
Because of the relative epidemiological significance of Triatoma sordida, T. guasayana and T. patagonica, and the need to resolve doubts about their taxonomic validity, we report here a detailed taxonomic comparison of the three species using multivariate analysis of morphometric measures combined with comparisons of their genitalia and antennal structures. From the 17 metric variables studied, the length of the second segment of the rostrum and the anteocular length provided a discrimination function able to separate without error T. sordida from T. guasayana and T. patagonica. The multivariate discriminant functions classified T. guasayana and T. patagonica with an error of 2.44%. Comparison of the male genitalia of T. guasayana and T. sordida showed that there are minor differences in the articulatory apparatus, the median process of the pygophore, the phallosome support and the vesica, with bigger differences in the endosomal process and the phallosome. However, the already described male genitalia of T. patagonica is very similar to that of T. sordida. Analysis of antennal structure by scanning electron microscope showed that sensilla distribution around the pedicel is slightly different in the three species and sensilla density is highest in T. sordida and lowest in T. patagonica. The study showed that the three species form a closely related group. The results confirm the earlier classification of sordida and guasayana as separate species, but they raise some doubts about the taxonomic status of T. patagonica.
Animals↗
Chagas disease vector control in Tupiza, southern Bolivia.
Heavy domestic and peridomestic infestations of Triatoma infestans were controlled in two villages in southern Bolivia by the application of deltamethrin SC25 (2.5% suspension concentrate) at a target dose of 25 mg a.i./m2. Actual applied dose was monitored by HPLC analysis of filter papers placed at various heights on the house walls, and was shown to range from 0 to 59.6 about a mean of 28.5 mg a.i./m2. Wall bioassays showed high mortality of T. infestans during the first month after the application of deltamethrin. Mortality declined to zero as summer temperatures increased, but reappeared with the onset of the following winter. In contrast, knockdown was apparent throughout the trial, showing no discernible temperature dependence. House infestation rates, measured by manual sampling and use of paper sheets to collect bug faeces, declined from 79% at the beginning of the trial to zero at the 6 month evaluation. All but one of the houses were still free of T. infestans at the final evaluation 12 months after spraying, although a small number of bugs were found at this time in 5 of 355 peridomestic dependencies. Comparative cost studies endorse the recommendation of large-scale application of deltamethrin, or pyrethroid of similar cost-effectiveness, as a means to eliminate domestic T. infestans populations in order to interrupt transmission of Chagas disease.
Animals↗
Population biology of Rhodnius domesticus Neiva & Pinto, 1923 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) under laboratory conditions.
The entire life cycle of Rhodnius domesticus, fed weekly on mice, was studied under controlled conditions. Aspects related to hatching, life time, mortality, feeding behaviour and fecundity for each stage of the insect life-cycle were evaluated. The hatching rate observed in 100 eggs was 57% and the mean time of hatching was 15.6 days. Forty-six nymphs (80.7%) completed the cycle and the mean time from NI to adult was 93.8 days. The average span in days for each stage was 12.4 for NI, 9.8 for NII, 14.2 for NIII, 16.8 for NIV and 25.0 NV. the number of bloodmeals in each nymphal stage varied from 1 to 3. The mortality rate was 12.3% for NI, 3.5% for NII and 1.7% for NIII and NV nymphs. The mean number of eggs laid per female in a 9-month period was 333.1. Average adult survival rates were 287.6 + 133 and 328 + 73 days for males and females respectively.
Animals↗
Characterization of Rhodnius neglectus from two regions of Brazil using isoenzymes, genitalia morphology and morphometry.
Among the triatomines considered as secondary in the epidemiology of Chagas disease, Rhodnius neglectus is frequently captured in artificial ecotopes, especially peridomiciliary ones, rarely producing colonies indoors. Nevertheless, the presence of breeding colonies in houses was unquestionably demonstrated in some areas of the State of Goiás, Brazil. Previous isoenzyme comparisons of this species with morphologically close triatomines, such as R. prolixus, R. robustus or R. nasutus, did not produce definitive conclusions because of doubt about the geographical origin of the R. neglectus. We present here, for the first time, the isoenzyme profile of topotypes of R. neglectus. In addition, wild caught specimens from the type locality, Uberaba (Minas Gerais, Brazil), were compared to wild caught specimens from Jaraguá (Goiás, Brazil), where R. neglectus is more frequently reported invading houses. We used isoenzyme, morphology and morphometry analysis. Neither morphological nor enzymatic differences were found between areas, but metric, size-related divergence was evidenced between them.
Animals↗
Nuclear rDNA-based molecular clock of the evolution of triatominae (Hemiptera: reduviidae), vectors of Chagas disease.
The evolutionary history and times of divergence of triatomine bug lineages are estimated from molecular clocks inferred from nucleotide sequences of the small subunit SSU (18S) and the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA of these reduviids. The 18S rDNA molecular clock rate in Triatominae, and Prosorrhynchan Hemiptera in general, appears to be of 1.8% per 100 million years (my). The ITS-2 molecular clock rate in Triatominae is estimated to be around 0.4-1% per 1 my, indicating that ITS-2 evolves 23-55 times faster than 18S rDNA. Inferred chronological data about the evolution of Triatominae fit well with current hypotheses on their evolutionary histories, but suggest reconsideration of the current taxonomy of North American species complexes.
Animals↗
Comparison of intervention strategies for control of Triatoma dimidiata in Nicaragua.
The effectiveness of three operational strategies for the control of Triatoma dimidiata was compared by a field trial in the Department of Madriz, Nicaragua. One strategy involved full pretrial evaluation, followed by spraying of all houses irrespective of whether or not they had been found to be infested. The second strategy minimised the pretrial evaluation by considering the locality infested as soon as one house was found to be positive, followed by spraying all houses. The third strategy involved full pretrial evaluation, followed by spraying only those houses found to be positive. Evaluation after twelve months indicated that all three strategies were similarly effective, since all sprayed houses remained free of infestation. However, comparative estimates of the unit intervention costs indicated that strategies 1 and 2 were substantially less efficient than the third strategy of spraying only positive houses.
Animals↗