Forest fragment size shapes <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> transmission and vector-host dynamics in eastern Colombia.

ABSTRACT: Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a major public health challenge in Latin America. Its transmission dynamics are tightly governed by ecological factors that influence vector-host interactions. Habitat fragmentation and land-use change disrupt sylvatic environments, forcing triatomine vectors to adapt to peridomestic settings, thereby increasing human-vector contact and modifying host availability. This study assesses how forest patch size influences T. cruzi transmission in three Attalea butyracea-dominated forest fragments of varying sizes (Canagüey: 109 ha, El Samán: 79 ha, La Dorada: 46 ha) in Casanare, eastern Colombia. Triatomines were collected using live-bait traps in 266 of the 330 sampled palms, and mammals were captured along

SUBMITTER: Urbano P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12478138 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature