| Grant number: | 10/17027-0 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral |
| Effective date (Start): | January 01, 2011 |
| Effective date (End): | May 31, 2014 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Entomology and Malacology of Parasites and Vectors |
| Principal Investigator: | João Aristeu da Rosa |
| Grantee: | Carlos Eduardo de Almeida |
| Host Institution: | Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil |
| Associated scholarship(s): | 11/22378-0 - Ecologic niche modeling and genetic structure of Triatoma sherlocki (Triatominae: Hemiptera) in the Bahia State, Brazil: eco-epidemiologic implications, BE.EP.PD |
Abstract Chagas disease is caused by the flagellate protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, and is transmitted to humans mainly byblood-sucking bugs (subfamily Triatominae). There is no cure for the acute phase of this disease, and vector transmission is the main mode of infection in Brazil, so most remediation efforts focus on interrupting natural vectorial transmission by controlling domiciliated vectors with pyrethroid insecticides. However, after the successful T. infestans control programme other triatomines, previously considered predominately sylvatic, have emerged as potential vectors in several areas of Brazil. The occurrence of Triatoma sherlocki in domiciles of a mining village (Encantado) in Gentio do Ouro, Bahia, Brazil, has been recently confirmed (Almeida et al. Med Vet Entomol. 2009 23:410-7) where this species exhibited index of domiciliary colonization similar to the ones recorded for triatomines recognized as potential vectors of Chagas disease. However, in its type locality (Santo Inácio, Bahia Brazil), this species remains sylvatic. In light of its possible domiciliation, simple ecological/geographic approaches will be applied to predict other sites of possible occurrence based on ecological similarity and geographic proximity to the known points of occurrence, via System of Geographic Information (GIS), which has previously offered well succeed predictions of occurrence for this species (Almeida et al. 2009). New searches in the predicted spots will be performed, aiming to detect new domiciliary foci of colonization. Following this, Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) will be applied and insects collected in the field will be used for molecular studies (microsatellites), aiming to recognize the ecological and genetic structure of T. sherlocki in sites where this species is collected in domilcies and where it is strictly wild. Therefore, throughout a approach that integrates georeferencing (GIS and ENM) and molecular tools it will be possible to evaluate whether the scenario explored herein represents an isolated case or an emerging public health problem for northeastern Brazil in ares of recent human settlements. | |
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