Feeding patterns of Triatoma vitticeps in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Objective Feeding patterns of triatomines have contributed to elucidate its biology. Triatoma vitticeps, naturally infected with T. cruzi, has been found in domiciles. Its behavior and epidemiological patterns were investigated. Methods One-hundred and twenty two specimens of T.vitticeps were captured from February 1989 to April 1993 in two areas of Triunfo municipality, a subdistrict of Santa Maria Madalena municipal district, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The insects were dissected and their intestinal contents were removed and tested. It was used antisera From: man, cow, horse, dog, pig, armadillo. opossum, rodent, and bird. Results From the total analyzed, 79 were positive and 43 were negative to the nine antisera rested: armadillo (30.3%) > human and pig (13.1%) > bird and dog (11.5%) > horse (5.7%) > opossum (4.9%) > rodent (4.1%) > cow (3.3%). Blood meals ranged from 0 to 4 and 6 in the following distribution: 0 = 25.41%; 1 = 45.08%; 2 = 10.66%; 3 = 6.56%; 4 = 1.64%, and 6 = 0.82%. Nine of the 122 insects captured were not examined, 74 (65.54%) were positive for T. cruzi infection and 39 (34.51%) were negative. Conclusions These results identified the T. vitticeps as being a sylvatic species and trypanosomiasis as being an enzootic disease. Epidemiological vigilance will be important to provide more information regarding the behavior of the species.