Socio-environmental factors associated with the occurrence of triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in an endemic municipality in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Triatomines are the vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas dis-ease. The study aimed to evaluate the association between sociodemographic andenvironmental factors, and changes in land use and cover, with the occurrence andabundance of triatomines by census sectors in an endemic municipality of northernMinas Gerais, Brazil. The study was conducted in Montes Claros, located in the northof Minas Gerais, Brazil. The entomological data used in the study were collected byactive surveillance in the rural area from 2015 to 2019 and by passive surveillancein the urban area from 2009 to 2019. Data on sociodemographic and environmentalfactors and changes in land use and land cover were obtained from the urban andrural census sectors. A total of 1404 triatomines, belonging to eight species, werecaptured in domiciles in the rural area (2015–­2019) and 277 triatomines in domicilesin the urban area (2009–­2019) of the municipality of Montes Claros. The variables thenumber of domiciles, household economic income, pavement, NDVI, deforestation,unchanged, and anthropic proved to be positively associated with the occurrenceand/or number of triatomines in census sectors, within the models. The occurrence oftriatomines in the domestic environment of the municipality of Montes Claros shouldbe considered a public health problem, as it suggests a potential risk of establishmentand transmission of T. cruzi to domestic animals, farm animals, and humans.