Public street lights increase house infestation by the Chagas disease vector Triatoma dimidiata.

ABSTRACT: Triatoma dimidiata is one of the primary vectors of Chagas disease. We previously documented the spatio-temporal infestation of houses by this species in the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, and found that non-domiciliated triatomines were specifically attracted to houses. However, the factors mediating this attraction remained unclear. Artificial light has been known for a long time to attract many insect species, and therefore may contribute to the spread of different vector-borne diseases. Also, based on the collection of different species of triatomines with light traps, several authors have suggested that light might attract triatomines to houses, but the role of artificial light in house infestation has never been clearly demonstrated and quantified. Here we performed a spatial analysis of

SUBMITTER: Pacheco-Tucuch FS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3338588 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature