Activity levels of female Triatoma infestans change depending on physiological condition
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RESEARCH
Open Access
Activity levels of female Triatoma infestans change depending on physiological condition Luciana Abrahan1* , Pablo Lopez1, Ivana Amelotti1,2, María José Cavallo1, Raúl Stariolo3, Silvia Catalá1, Gerardo Cueto4 and Verónica Valentinuzzi1
Abstract Background: Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is the main vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, in South America. Active dispersal of this vector is the principal cause of recolonization of human dwellings previously treated with insecticides. Due to the persistence of vector populations and their movement between habitats, dispersive behavior studies are important for understanding the epidemiology of Chagas disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship among T. infestans females’ activity levels according to their physiological conditions. Results: Two groups of insects were used, unfed and fed females. Each was composed of three subgroups in relation to the reproductive state: fifth-stage nymphs, virgin and fertilized females. There was a significant interaction between reproductive and nutritional states among T. infestans female’ activity levels. During the experiments, unfed and fed nymphs remained inactive. Virgin females showed a dual behavior in their movement; fasted insects were more active. Fertilized females, both fed and unfed, were always active. Conclusion: The reproductive and nutritional conditions of T. infestans females affect their activity levels. When females with different reproductive states remained together, fertilized females showed permanent activity levels, suggesting that this subgroup of females represents the highest epidemiological risk as colonizers of human dwellings. Keywords: Triatomines, Kissing bugs, Chagas disease, Active dispersal
Background Active dispersal is a key process in ecology that affects the dynamics and persistence of populations. Evolutionary models and empirical studies, aimed at elucidating the causes of animal dispersal, have shown that various factors, such as intraspecific competition, inbreeding risk, food availability, population density, sex ratio and habitat isolation, may encourage dispersal activity [1, 2]. In triatomines, active dispersal is of great importance for the vectorial control of Chagas disease [3]. In triatomines with an affinity to the human habitat, active dispersal may lead to the recolonization of ecotypes * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja (CRILAR), UNLAR, SEGEMAR, UNCa, CONICET, Anillaco, La Rioja, Argentina Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
previously treated with insecticide [3–6]. Within triatomines, Triatoma infestans is the main vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, in the Southern Cone of South America. In this species, dispersing females are able to recolonize habitats, representing a high risk as reinfestants of human dwellings [7].
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