Predominance of hybrid discrete typing units of Trypanosoma cruzi in domestic Triatoma infestans from the Bolivian Gran Chaco region.

In the Gran Chaco region the reinfestation by Triatoma infestans remains a major problem for control of Chagas disease. Trypanosoma cruzi the agent of the illness presents a broad genetic intraspecific variability which is poorly documented in the Bolivian Gran Chaco. This work presents the identification of the discrete typing units (DTUs) currently recognized for T.

"Andean" and "non-Andean" ITS-2 and mtCytB haplotypes of Triatoma infestans are observed in the Gran Chaco (Bolivia): population genetics and the origin of reinfestation.

In Bolivia, the Gran Chaco ecoregion suffers from serious problems of house reinfestation with Triatoma infestans despite vector control by insecticides spraying. In order to identify the origin of the triatomines collected after spraying, the genetic structure of T. infestans populations collected in four neighboring villages, before and after spraying, was analyzed using ITS-2 and mtCytB sequencing.