title: Vector control intervention towards interruption of transmission of Chagas disease by Rhodnius prolixus, main vector in Guatemala.
abstract: In Guatemala, the Ministry of Health (MoH) began a vector control project with Japanese cooperation in 2000 to reduce the risk of Chagas disease infection. Rhodnius prolixus is one of the principal vectors and is targeted for elimination. The control method consisted of extensive residual insecticide spraying campaigns, followed by community-based surveillance with selective respraying. Interventions in nine endemic departments identified 317 villages with R. prolixus of 4,417 villages surveyed. Two cycles of residual insecticide spraying covered over 98% of the houses in the identified villages. Fourteen villages reinfestated were all resprayed. Between 2000-2003 and 2008, the number of infested villages decreased from 317 to two and the house infestation rate reduced from 0.86% to 0.0036%. Seroprevalence rates in 2004-2005, when compared with an earlier study in 1998, showed a significant decline from 5.3% to 1.3% among schoolchildren in endemic areas. The total operational cost was US$ 921,815, where the cost ratio between preparatory, attack and surveillance phases was approximately 2:12:1. In 2008, Guatemala was certified for interruption of Chagas disease transmission by R. prolixus. What facilitated the process was existing knowledge in vector control and notable commitment by the MoH, as well as political, managerial and technical support by external stakeholders.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology, Communicable Diseases and Priority Problems, Pan American Health Organization, Guatemala, Guatemala. hashimok@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Juarez
authors.forename: Carlota
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monroy
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cordón-Rosales
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006166:Guatemala / Q000453:epidemiology; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D007303:Insect Vectors; D007306:Insecticides; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012239:Rhodnius; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides