Chagas' disease in the Amazon Basin: V. Periurban palms as habitats of Rhodnius robustus and Rhodnius pictipes - triatomine vectors of Chagas' disease

Abstract

Trypanosoma cruzi infected Rhodnius robustus and/or Rhodnius pictipes were commonly found, in large numbers, in the Brazilian Amazonian palms Maximiliana regia ("inajá"), Acrocomia sclerocarpa ("mucajá") and Orbignya speciosa ("babaçu"). The common opossum, Didelphis marsupialis, was the animal most frequently associated with triatomine infested palms. R. pictipes, frequently light-attracted into houses from palm trees, was the probable source of an acute case of Chagas' disease in the vicinity of Belém. It is considered that triatomine infested palms are likely to cause some cases of acute Chagas' disease in the States of Amazonas and Rondônia. Possible control methods are suggested.Rhodnius robustus e/ou Rhodnius pictipes, infectados com Trypanosoma cruzi foram comumente encontrados, em grande numero, nas palmeiras Maximiliana regia (inaja), Acrocomia sclerocarpa (mucaja) e Orbignya speciosa (babacu) na Amazonia brasileira. O marsupial Didelphis marsupialis foi o animal encontrado mais frequentemente nas palmeiras associadas a alta prevalencia de triatomineos. R. pictipes que e atraido pela luz nas residencias de palmeiras vizinhas, provavelmente e a fonte de um caso agudo de doenca de Chagas nas vizinhancas de Belem. Sugere-se que as palmeiras albergando triatomineos poderiam ser relacionadas com infeccoes humanas de doenca de Chagas nos Estados de Amazonas e Rondonia. Sugere-se, tambem, possiveis metodos de controle.