A common Caatinga cactus, Pilosocereus gounellei, is an important ecotope of wild Triatoma brasiliensis populations in the Jaguaribe valley of northeastern Brazil.
Triatoma brasiliensis is the most important vector of Chagas disease in the Caatinga eco-region of northeastern Brazil. Wild T. brasiliensis populations have been reported only from rocky outcrops. However, this species frequently infests/re-infests houses in rock-free sedimentary lowlands. We therefore hypothesized that it should also occupy other natural ecotopes. We show that a common Caatinga cactus, Pilosocereus gounellei, locally known as xiquexique, often harbors T. brasiliensis breeding colonies apparently associated with rodents (n = 44 cacti, infestation rate = 47.7%, 157 bugs captured). Our findings suggest that infested cacti might be involved in house re-infestation by T. brasiliensis in the Caatinga region.
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil; Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil.
Carolina
C
Valença-Barbosa
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil; Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil mmlima@ioc.fiocruz.br.
Marli M
MM
Lima
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil; Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil.
Otília
O
Sarquis
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil; Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil.
Claudia M
CM
Bezerra
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil; Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil.
Fernando
F
Abad-Franch
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D029421:Cactaceae / Q000469:parasitology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000635:transmission*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012377:Rodentia; D014224:Triatoma / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000502:physiology*