Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, 108(3) May 2013
Original Article
Climatic factors influencing triatomine occurrence in Central-West Brazil
1Núcleo de Medicina Tropical
7Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Área de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina
6Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brasil
2Coordenação Geral de Laboratórios de Saúde Pública, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Brasília, DF, Brasil
3Núcleo Regional de Saúde, Laboratório Regional de Entomologia, Secretaria de Estado de Saúde, Dourados, MS, Brasil
4Núcleo de Apoio ao Controle de Endemias, Secretaria de Saúde, Goiânia, GO, Brasil
5Laboratório de Entomologia, Secretaria de Saúde, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
We estimated the geographic distributions of triatomine species in Central-West Region of Brazil (CW) and analysed the climatic factors influencing their occurrence. A total of 3,396 records of 27 triatomine species were analysed. Using the maximum entropy method, ecological niche models were produced for eight species occurring in at least 20 municipalities based on 13 climatic variables and elevation. Triatoma sordida and Rhodnius neglectus were the species with the broadest geographic distributions in CW Brazil. The Cerrado areas in the state of Goiás were found to be more suitable for the occurrence of synanthropic triatomines than the Amazon forest areas in the northern part of the state of Mato Grosso. The variable that best explains the evaluated models is temperature seasonality. The results indicate that almost the entire region presents climatic conditions that are appropriate for at least one triatomine species.Therefore, it is recommended that entomological surveillance be reinforced in CW Brazil.
