How to translate text using browser tools
18 June 2022 A New Record of the Introduced Species Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Mexico
F. Martínez-Hernández, G. Villalobos, O. D. Montañez-Valdez, J. A. Martínez-Ibarra
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Here, we report a new record of Triatoma infestans (Klug) in Mexico after 50 years and provide a brief description of the discovery area. Fifty-nine specimens (71.2% adults) of the introduced species were collected from the peridomestic areas of a single house in the port of Manzanillo in the state of Colima, Mexico. Thirty-one specimens (52.5%) were collected from the exterior walls of the house and were apparently attracted to light. The other specimens (47.5%) were associated with chickens. No specimen was infected with Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, the causative agent of Chagas disease, possibly because they were feeding on chickens. We speculate that the introduced species travelled from South America to Mexico via seed shipment in a twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) maritime container. Because Mexican phytosanitary regulations demand only the cargo to be inspected, the triatomines could have escaped notice during inspection. Subsequently, as the cargo was unloaded and the TEU was stored, the triatomines likely flew to and invaded the nearby residential areas. The rediscovery of this domestic vector of T. cruzi in Mexico warrants further investigation owing to the potential risk of transmission to the inhabitants of the study area.

Graphical Abstract

Triatoma infestans was found after 50 years in Mexico. The possible introduction of some specimens of that species via seed shipment from a South American country in a twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) maritime container is hypothesized. The rediscovery of this invasive domestic vector of T. cruzi in Mexico warrants further investigation owing to the potential risk of transmission to the inhabitants of the study area.

img-z1-20_2150.jpg
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
F. Martínez-Hernández, G. Villalobos, O. D. Montañez-Valdez, and J. A. Martínez-Ibarra "A New Record of the Introduced Species Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Mexico," Journal of Medical Entomology 59(6), 2150-2157, (18 June 2022). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjac078
Received: 24 February 2022; Accepted: 9 May 2022; Published: 18 June 2022
JOURNAL ARTICLE
8 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
Chagas disease
container infestation
introduced species
Mexico
Triatoma infestans
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top