Sandon Leonardo, Weinberg Diego, Espinosa Manuel O, Abril Marcelo C, Chuit Roberto, Porcasi Ximena, Periago Maria V
Fundación Mundo Sano, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Comisión Nacional de Asuntos Espaciales (CONAE), Córdoba, Argentina.
Parasit Vectors. 2025 Jun 2;18(1):203. doi: 10.1186/s13071-025-06849-1.
The Gran Chaco Region of Argentina, a hotspot for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) including Chagas disease (CD), has undergone significant landscape transformations due to deforestation and agricultural expansion. These changes have altered the dynamics of Triatoma infestans, the primary vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of CD. This study investigates the association between environmental changes and vector infestation patterns in a rural area of Añatuya, Santiago del Estero, Argentina, under continuous surveillance and control since 2005.
Entomological data from 502 households across 13 rural settlements were collected over a decade (2009-2019). Spatial patterns of triatomine infestation were analyzed using kernel density estimation (KDE), and relationships between infestation, land use changes, household density, and proximity to deforested areas were assessed. Random Forest models were employed to identify key predictors of infestation, incorporating variables such as deforestation percentage, distance to agricultural plots, and domestic animal density.
Infestation patterns were highly heterogeneous, with significant hotspots identified in settlements such as Lote 27, Lote 47, and La Salamanca. Household density and distance to main roads emerged as the most important predictors of infestation, with higher infestation rates observed in areas with lower deforestation and greater distance from agricultural plots. Deforestation reduced sylvatic reservoirs of T. cruzi but influenced domestic triatomine populations, particularly in areas with intermediate household density. Continuous surveillance and control efforts, including insecticide application and house improvements, led to a significant reduction in infestation rates over time.
Landscape transformation plays a critical role in shaping T. cruzi transmission dynamics. While deforestation reduces sylvatic reservoirs, it also influences domestic triatomine populations, highlighting the complex interplay between environmental changes and vector ecology. Tailored control strategies that address both domestic and sylvatic cycles are essential for sustainable vector elimination. These findings underscore the importance of integrating environmental and spatial factors into CD control programs to achieve certification of transmission-free areas and reduce the burden of CD in endemic regions.
阿根廷的大查科地区是包括恰加斯病（CD）在内的被忽视热带病的热点地区，由于森林砍伐和农业扩张，该地区经历了重大的景观变化。这些变化改变了克氏锥虫的主要传播媒介——侵扰锥猎蝽的动态。本研究调查了自2005年以来一直在持续监测和控制的阿根廷圣地亚哥-德尔埃斯特罗省阿尼亚图亚农村地区环境变化与媒介感染模式之间的关联。
在十年间（2009 - 2019年）收集了13个农村定居点502户家庭的昆虫学数据。使用核密度估计（KDE）分析锥猎蝽感染的空间模式，并评估感染、土地利用变化、家庭密度以及与森林砍伐地区的距离之间的关系。采用随机森林模型来确定感染的关键预测因素，纳入了森林砍伐百分比、到农田的距离和家畜密度等变量。
感染模式高度异质，在第27地块、第47地块和萨拉曼卡等定居点发现了显著的热点区域。家庭密度和到主要道路的距离成为感染的最重要预测因素，在森林砍伐较少且离农田较远的地区观察到较高的感染率。森林砍伐减少了克氏锥虫的野生宿主，但影响了家养锥猎蝽种群，特别是在家庭密度中等的地区。包括喷洒杀虫剂和房屋改善在内的持续监测和控制措施随着时间的推移导致感染率显著降低。
景观转变在塑造克氏锥虫传播动态方面起着关键作用。虽然森林砍伐减少了野生宿主，但也影响了家养锥猎蝽种群，凸显了环境变化与媒介生态之间复杂的相互作用。针对家庭和野生传播周期的定制控制策略对于可持续消除媒介至关重要。这些发现强调了将环境和空间因素纳入恰加斯病控制计划以实现无传播地区认证并减轻流行地区恰加斯病负担的重要性。
