Journal of Medical Entomology (1998) 35, 99-103

Vera C. Valente, Sebastiao A.S. Valente, Francois Noireau, Hernan J. Carrasco and Michael A. Miles (1998)
Chagas disease in the Amazon Basin: association of Panstrongylus geniculatus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) with domestic pigs
Journal of Medical Entomology 35 (2), 99-103
Abstract: Just over 100 autochthonous cases of Chagas disease are reported from the Brazilian Amazon Basin. Panstrongylus geniculatus (Latreille) occurs throughout the region and is the known vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, principal zymodeme 3 (Z3) to the armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus. In the small riverine community of Furo do Rio Pau Grande, pigsties adjoining houses were heavily infested with P. geniculatus, which repeatedly attacked local inhabitants. Palm trees in the immediate vicinity were also infested. T. cruzi principal zymodeme 1 (Z1) was isolated from P. geniculatus, domestic pigs, and opossums, but no human infections were detected. The threat of endemic Chagas disease to the Amazon Basin from either domiciliation of local silvatic triatomine species, or from migration of domestic vectors, demands a program of vigilance and plans of action to eliminate household triatomine colonies.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): François Noireau

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Panstrongylus geniculatus