title: Potential for entomopathogenic fungi to control Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), a vector of Chagas disease in Mexico.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of entomopathogenic fungi to control disease vectors has become relevant because traditional chemical control methods have caused damage to the environment and led to the development of resistance among vectors. Thus, this study assessed the pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi in Triatoma dimidiata.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preparations of 108 conidia/ml of Gliocladium virens, Talaromyces flavus, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were applied topically on T. dimidiata nymphs and adults. Controls were treated with the 0.0001% Tween-80 vehicle. Mortality was evaluated and recorded daily for 30 days. The concentration required to kill 50% of T. dimidiata (LC50) was then calculated for the most pathogenic isolate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pathogenicity in adults was similar among B. bassiana, G. virens and T. flavus (p>0.05) and differed from that in triatomine nymphs (p=0.009). The most entomopathogenic strains in adult triatomines were B. bassiana and G. virens, which both caused 100% mortality. In nymphs, the most entomopathogenic strain was B. bassiana, followed by G. virens. The native strain with the highest pathogenicity was G. virens, for which the LC50 for T. dimidiata nymphs was 1.98 x108 conidia/ml at 13 days after inoculation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Beauveria bassiana and G. virens showed entomopathogenic potential in T. dimidiata nymphs and adults. However, the native G. virens strain presents a higher probability of success in the field, and G. virens should thus be considered a potential candidate for the biological control of triatomine Chagas disease vectors.
authors: Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Tapachula, Chiapas, México.
authors: María Guadalupe
authors: MG
authors: Vázquez-Martínez
authors: Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Tapachula, Chiapas, México.
authors: Blanca Elva
authors: BE
authors: Cirerol-Cruz
authors: Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Tapachula, Chiapas, México.
authors: José Luis
authors: JL
authors: Torres-Estrada
authors: Centro de Investigación sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors: Mario Henry Rodríguez
authors: MH
authors: López
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000635:transmission; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008800:Mexico; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014224:Triatoma / Q000382:microbiology*