The objective of this study is to evaluate ecological factors associated with Rhodnius pallescens abundance and infection rates with Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli across land use gradients. We tested single infection and co-infection rates in populations of R. pallescens (N=82) in a landscape gradient in central Panama, where the species is considered the main vector of Chagas disease. Kissing bugs were collected from 46 palms located in 12 communities across different habitat types, including secondary forest, grassland and regenerating forest. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole bodies and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) assays were performed using probes targeting the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes of both parasites. So far, we have collected 82 specimens of R. pallescens: of these, 45% were adults (N=37), 32% were nymphs between stages 5 and 3 (N=26) and 23% were nymphs between stages 2 and 1 (N=19). Preliminary data indicate that the prevalence of single infection with T. cruzi alone is 39%, with T. rangeli is 13%, and co-infections were present in 39% of individuals in this landscape. Only 9% were not infected with any species. Additionally, we will use site occupancy models to estimate the effect of deforestation on the probabilities of palm infestation with R. pallescens. On the other hand, we will attempt to test how vector density and Trypanosoma spp. prevalence are influenced by landscape characteristics. We predict that more disturbed landscapes (grasslands and regenerating forest) will show higher probabilities of R. pallescens presence than more conserved areas (mature and secondary forest)
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