title: Infection rates in Dipetalogaster maximus (Reduviidae: Triatominae) by Trypanosoma cruzi in the Cape Region, Baja California Sur, México.
abstract: Infection rates of Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas (in the blood-sucking bug Dipetalogaster maximus [Uhler]) were determined from specimens collected at 12 localities in the Cape Region of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Eight collection sites were located in the tropical dry forest, two in desert shrub, and two in the ecotone between these two communities. Of the 245 D. maximus collected, 65% were first and second instar nymphs; 32.6% were third, fourth, and fifth instar nymphs; and 2.4% were adults. The highest proportion of specimens came from El Fandango (30%) and San Bartolo (23%) canyons and La Cruz hill (12%) in the mountain slopes facing the Gulf of California. In feces from individual bugs analyzed for T. cruzi, we found an overall infection rate of 7.0%. Infection rates increased from 4.1% in second instars to 42.% in fifth instars. High infection rates were found in bugs collected from La Poza (38.4%), El Gato (27.2%), and El Pedregoso (25%) hills; low infection rates were found in specimens from La Cruz hill and San Bartolo canyon. Specimens from some collection sites were not infected with T. cruzi.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Gestión Ambiental, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, PO Box 128, La Paz, B.C.S. 23090, México.
authors.forename: María-Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Llinas
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palacios
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D014225:Triatominae / Q000469:parasitology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis