Epidemiologically, Triatoma infestans is the most important species that transmit the Chagas disease; however, there are other infectious species like Triatoma guasyana, Triatoma melanocephala, Triatoma oswaldoi, Triatoma venosa, Panstrogylus megistus, Triatoma brasiliensis, Triatoma sordida, Rhodnius pallescans, Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma dimidiata. Some of them do not live next to the houses of humans beings, but they can infect wild mammals. The species that are domiciliary and that can transmit the Trypanosoma cruzi are Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma dimidiata.

In South America the species that transmit the Chagas disease, in order of importance, are Triatoma infestans, Rhodnius prolixus, Panstrogylus megistus, Triatoma brasiliensis, Triatoma sordida, and Triatoma dimidiata. In Central America and Pamana is Rhodnius pallescans because here these insects have adopted domiciliary habits. R. prolixus can be found in Central America and in countries located to the north of the Amazon like Venezuela and Colombia. T. dimidiata can be found from Mexico to the north of Peru in the Pacific coast.

Sources of Information

• The Kiss of Death: The Biology of Chagas Disease
  The University of Texas at Arlington
  http://www.uta.edu/chagas/html/biolTinf.html

• Yves Carlier, MD, MSc.
  Chagas Disease (American Trypanosomiasis)
  eMedicine.com, Inc.
  http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic327.htm

More Information

• The Kissing Bug
• Development
• Geographic zones
• Life habits
• Other infectious species
• Biological Information
• Frequently Asked Questions