With the purpose of evaluating
the risk of transmission of the Chagas disease in the State of Colima, México,
an entomological survey was performed to obtain triatominae and the rate of infection
by
Trypanosoma cruzi
determined by examination of its dejections.
Two hundred eighteen houses located in 16 villages were sampled. In each house
the intradomestic and peridomestic habitats were examined by the man-hour-house
method, sensor boxes and mouse-baited traps. Also, 12 silvatic places were explored
around the same areas using the same techniques as the ones sampled. In total,
456 specimens were captured, of which 139 correspond to
Triatoma phyllosoma pallidipennis
; 80 to
T. p. longipennis; one specimen of
T. dimidiata
and 236 nymphs of
Triatoma sp
. Two hundred ninety seven insects
were captured in the intradomestic habitat, 132 in the peridomestic and 26 in
the silvatic. The index of positive houses was 27%, located in the central area
of the state. The rate of natural infection with T. cruzi showed 25.6%.
This results confirmed the presence of two important vectors of the Chagas disease
in Colima. Its preference for the domestic habitat and its high levels of natural
infection with
T. cruzi suggested the existence of a significant risk for
its transmission in this area of the country.
