Wisnivesky-Colli Cristina, Vezzani Darío, Pietrokovsky Silvia M, Scurti Hugo, Iriarte Jorge
Unidad de Ecología de Reservorios y Vectores de Parásitos, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, Nuñez (C1428EHA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2003 Dec;98(8):1077-81. doi: 10.1590/s0074-02762003000800018. Epub 2004 Mar 9.
This study aimed at identifying the ecological characteristics of Triatoma patagonica Del Ponte 1929 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) and evaluating the epidemiological importance of this species at its southernmost distribution limit. We carried out two surveys in the Province of Chubut, in summer and in spring, 1998. In each survey, we interviewed local health care agents for triatomine recognition and reports of the bugs, followed by entomological searches in houses and peridomestic and silvatic biotopes. The presence of T. patagonica was confirmed in two of the five localities indicated by interview. In agreement with previous studies, all these positive localities were east of the 11 degrees C isotherm, within the Monte phytogeographic province. Triatomine abundance and infestation levels (in peridomiciles and peridomestic biotopes) were higher in summer than in spring, possibly reflecting adverse environmental conditions such as flood and cold winter weather. In the silvatic environment, we found three adult bugs under rocks in summer. In peridomestic sites bugs were only found associated with chickens, which were also the only blood meal source identified. Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi was not detected. We conclude that T. patagonica at its southernmost distribution limit does not represent a risk to public health due to its low abundance, lack of association with humans, and absence of T. cruzi infection.
本研究旨在确定1929年巴塔哥尼亚锥蝽（半翅目：猎蝽科）的生态特征，并评估该物种在其最南端分布极限处的流行病学重要性。1998年，我们于夏季和春季在丘布特省进行了两次调查。每次调查中，我们向当地卫生保健人员了解锥蝽的识别情况及有关这些虫子的报告，随后在房屋、住宅周边和森林生境中进行昆虫学搜索。在访谈指出的五个地点中，有两个地点确认存在巴塔哥尼亚锥蝽。与之前的研究一致，所有这些阳性地点均位于蒙特植物地理省内11摄氏度等温线以东。夏季锥蝽的丰度和侵染水平（在住宅周边和住宅周边生境中）高于春季，这可能反映了诸如洪水和寒冷冬季天气等不利环境条件。在森林环境中，我们在夏季于岩石下发现了三只成年锥蝽。在住宅周边地点，仅发现锥蝽与鸡有关，鸡也是唯一确定的血餐来源。未检测到克氏锥虫感染。我们得出结论，巴塔哥尼亚锥蝽在其最南端分布极限处，因其数量稀少、与人类无关联且不存在克氏锥虫感染，对公共卫生不构成风险。
