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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 81(4), 2009, pp. 651-655
doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2009.08-0590;
Copyright © 2009 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Feeding and Defecation Patterns of Rhodnius nasutus (Hemiptera; Reduviidae), A Triatomine Native to an Area Endemic for Chagas Disease in the State of Ceará, Brazil

Tiago G. Oliveira, Filipe A. Carvalho-Costa, Otília Sarquis, AND Marli M. Lima*
Laboratório de Eco-Epidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, Laboratório de Sistemática Bioquímica, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The importance of Rhodnius nasutus in the transmission of Chagas disease in northeastern Brazil was investigated regarding feeding and defecation patterns of this triatomine under laboratory conditions. An average of 30 samples were studied for each instar, from fourth-instar nymphs onward. On average, 86.4% started feeding after less than 10 minutes. In terms of the duration of feeding, 53.3% of fourth instar nymphs, 81.9% of fifth-instar nymphs, 21.9% of males, and 36.7% of females fed for more than 15 minutes. In all groups, there were insects that defecated and urinated during feeding; adult males defecated the most and fourth instar nymphs defecated the least. The results demonstrate that R. nasutus may be considered an efficient T. cruzi vector because it avidly searches for a food source, has a lengthy feeding time with low probability of interruption during feeding, and achieves a high percentage of engorgement.

Received November 10, 2008. Accepted for publication May 5, 2009.

Financial support: This study was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

* Address correspondence to Marli M. Lima, Laboratório de Eco-Epidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz. Av. Brasil, 4365, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil. E-mail: mmlima{at}ioc.fiocruz.br

Authors’ addresses: Tiago G. Oliveira, Otília Sarquis, and Marli M. Lima, Laboratório de Eco-Epidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, IOC, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, CEP 21045-900, E-mails: tiago{at}ioc.fiocruz.br, otiliasarquis{at}ioc.fiocruz.br, and mmlima{at}ioc.fiocruz.br. Filipe Anibal Carvalho-Costa, Laboratório de Sistemática Bioquímica, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, CEP 21045-900, E-mail: guaratiba{at}ioc.fiocruz.br.






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