Searching for triatomines. A new method for field search using UV light

Abstract

Detection of triatomine bugs within a house is essential for the estimation of Chagas disease transmission risk and for evaluating the success of insecticidal control attempts. Small residual populations could represent an important risk but are difficult to detect by time manual sampling. Faecal marks from triatomines are clearly detectable with an ultraviolet (UV) light on most of the materials frequently used in rural buildings. A new method for finding triatomines is proposed here, based on the unexplored property of faeces to fluoresce when exposed to UV light.