title: Key source habitats and potential dispersal of triatoma infestans populations in Northwestern Argentina: implications for vector control.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Triatoma infestans -the principal vector of the infection that causes Chagas disease- defies elimination efforts in the Gran Chaco region. This study identifies the types of human-made or -used structures that are key sources of these bugs in the initial stages of house reinfestation after an insecticide spraying campaign.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We measured demographic and blood-feeding parameters at two geographic scales in 11 rural communities in Figueroa, northwest Argentina. Of 1,297 sites searched in spring, 279 (21.5%) were infested. Bug abundance per site and female fecundity differed significantly among habitat types (ecotopes) and were highly aggregated. Domiciles (human sleeping quarters) had maximum infestation prevalence (38.7%), human-feeding bugs and total egg production, with submaximal values for other demographic and blood-feeding attributes. Taken collectively peridomestic sites were three times more often infested than domiciles. Chicken coops had greater bug abundance, blood-feeding rates, engorgement status, and female fecundity than pig and goat corrals. The host-feeding patterns were spatially structured yet there was strong evidence of active dispersal of late-stage bugs between ecotopes. Two flight indices predicted that female fliers were more likely to originate from kitchens and domiciles, rejecting our initial hypothesis that goat and pig corrals would dominate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chicken coops and domiciles were key source habitats fueling rapid house reinfestation. Focusing control efforts on ecotopes with human-fed bugs (domiciles, storerooms, goat corrals) would neither eliminate the substantial contributions to bug population growth from kitchens, chicken coops, and pig corrals nor stop dispersal of adult female bugs from kitchens. Rather, comprehensive control of the linked network of ecotopes is required to prevent feeding on humans, bug population growth, and bug dispersal simultaneously. Our study illustrates a demographic approach that may be applied to other regions and triatomine species for the design of innovative, improved vector control strategies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology, Department of Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Universidad de Buenos Aires-IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ricardo E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gürtler
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology, Department of Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Universidad de Buenos Aires-IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cecere
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology, Department of Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Universidad de Buenos Aires-IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Del Pilar
authors.initials: Mdel P
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology, Department of Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Universidad de Buenos Aires-IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Department of Environmental Studies, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Gonzalo M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Vazquez-Prokopec
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology, Department of Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Universidad de Buenos Aires-IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Leonardo A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ceballos
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology, Department of Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Universidad de Buenos Aires-IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gurevitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Studies, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Uriel
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kitron
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Populations, Rockefeller and Columbia Universities, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002645:Chickens / Q000469:parasitology; D003710:Demography; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D007306:Insecticides; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D012621:Seasons; D013552:Swine / Q000469:parasitology; D014224:Triatoma / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides