Exploring the association between Trypanosoma cruzi infection in rural communities and environmental changes in the southern Gran Chaco.

The association between land use and land cover changes between 1979-2004 in a 2.26-million-hectare area south of the Gran Chaco region and Trypanosoma cruzi infection in rural communities was analysed. The extent of cultural land, open and closed forests and shrubland up to 3,000 m around rural communities in the north, northwest and west of the province of Córdoba was estimated using Landsat satellite imagery.

Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and vector control activities in rural communities of the southern Gran Chaco (Argentina).

We compared age-related seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection with history of vector control interventions and social and ecological changes in three historically endemic departments of Cordoba province, Argentina, covering an area of 42,600 km(2) of the Gran Chaco region. Using a cross sectional design, blood samples of 5240 people between 6 months and 40 years of age, living in 192 rural communities were analyzed to detect T. cruzi infection using ELISA tests, and confirmed with indirect immunofluorescent antibody test and indirect haemoagglutination.

Association between antennal phenotype, wing polymorphism and sex in the genus Mepraia (Reduviidae: Triatominae).

Mepraia spinolai and Mepraia gajardoi (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) are only found in the arid regions of northern Chile. Mepraia is the only genus of Triatominae with marked wing polymorphism. Females of both species are micropterous, males of M.