The biology and behavior of Triatoma barberi (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Mexico. I. Blood meal sources and infection with Trypanosoma cruzi.

Abstract

The capillary precipitin test technique was used to analyze the blood meals of 519 Triatoma barberi collected from village households in Magdalena Apazco, Oaxaca, Mexico. The gut contents of 85% reacted to 1 or more of 22 different anti, sera. Feedings from rodents accounted for 70% of all identified blood meals, followed by feedings from man (36%), cat (13%), dog (12%), bovid (11%), chicken (9%) and turkey (6%). Nymph and adult blood meals showed similar patterns in both number and source of host identifications, Multiple blood meals, from 2 to 6 different hosts, were found in 48% of all bugs with identified feedings and were encountered more frequently in adults (.53%) than in nymphs (45%), Of 362 bugs examined for Trypanosoma cruzi. 72% were infected, The percentage of in, fection increased with successive instar and was significantly higher in adults than in nymphal instat's combined, There was no correlation between host source and T. cruzi infection rates in bugs. Common usage of ceiling spaces in houses by both bugs and rodents, a predominant number of identified blood meals from rats and mice, and a high rate of T. cruzi infection in bugs are evidence of a strong link between this domiciliary species of triatomine and peridomestic rodents in Mexico.