A survey for Trypanosoma cruzi in triatomine bugs (Hemiptera:Reduviidae) in southeastern New Mexcio

Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi and is transmitted to humans by blood-sucking triatomine bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Between 40-120 million people are at risk for Chagas disease and an estimated 8 million are infected. The most important triatomine species in the United States for Chagas disease transmission are Triatoma sanguisuga, whose range extends from Maryland to Texas, and T. gerstaeckeri, found in Texas and New Mexico. T. cruzi was found in 3.4% of triatomine bugs collected from 1936 to 1959, including five specimens of T. gerstaeckeri collected near Carlsbad, NM. However, there are no recent studies that address the current T. cruzi infection rate of any of these vectors in New Mexico. The objective of this work is to conduct a preliminary survey of triatomine bugs with T. cruzi in New Mexico. Triatomine bugs were collected daily from light traps placed in two locations in southeastern New Mexico. In the first year of sampling, 2010, fifty percent (n=12) of these bugs tested positive for T. cruzi by PCR. These results are consistent with the infection rates reported from Texas and Arizona. Further trapping and characterization of indigenous triatomine bugs is on-going.