Dynamics of Triatoma infestans populations in the Paraguayan Chaco: Population genetic analysis of household reinfestation following vector control.

Background: Although domestic infestations by Triatoma infestans have been successfully controlled across Latin America, in areas of the Gran Chaco region, recurrent post-spraying house colonization continues to be a significant challenge, jeopardizing Chagas disease vector control and maintaining active Trypanosoma cruzi transmission.

Methodology/principal Findings: To investigate the dynamics of triatomine reinfestation in a rural area of the Paraguayan Chaco, genetic characterization (based on 10 microsatellite loci and cytochrome B sequence polymorphisms) was performed on baseline and reinfestant T. infestans (n = 138) from four indigenous communities and adjacent sylvatic sites.

Morphometric Wings Similarity among Sylvatic and Domestic Populations of Triatoma infestans .

Despite sustained efforts for eliminating , reinfestation still persists in large part of the endemic area of Chagas disease from the Gran Chaco region. Sylvatic populations seem to threat success of control programs of domestic . In this study, we analyze whether collected after a community-wide spraying were survivors or were immigrants from elsewhere using geometric morphometric tools.