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Objective Chagas disease is a major vector-borne parasitic disease in Latin America, primarily transmitted to humans by triatomine vectors. Non-domiciliated triatomine species such as Triatoma dimidiata in the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, can transiently invade houses and are emerging as a major challenge to control Trypanosoma cruzi transmission to humans. We analyzed the spatio-temporal spreading of house infestation by T. dimidiata in four rural villages. Methods Triatomines were collected in four rural villages over a 2 years period, and the spatio-temporal patterns of infestation were analyzed. Results Triatomines were consistently more abundant at the periphery of villages than in centers, indicating a much higher risk of T. cruzi transmission at the periphery. Male T. dimidiata were found further in the center of the village, while females remained closer to the periphery, suggesting differential dispersal capabilities between sexes, although the timing of dispersal appeared identical. Surprisingly, infected females were consistently collected in houses much further from the surrounding bushes than non-infected females, while the distribution of males was unaffected by their T. cruzi infection status, suggesting an increased dispersal capability in infected females. Conclusion The spatial structure of infestation should be taken into account for the prioritization of vector control activities within villages, and spatially targeted interventions may be explored. A potential vector manipulation by T. cruzi, observed for the first time in triatomines, may favor parasite transmission to new hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chagas' disease is an important health problem in most Latin American countries, and a concern in dog populations, which act as a reservoir. We showed in previous studies that a therapeutic DNA vaccine could partially control the pathology after Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice, and this vaccine may represent an alternative treatment for Chagas' disease. Here we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of this vaccine in experimentally infected dogs for up to 2 months after infection. Our results suggest that DNA vaccine treatment may affect the immune response and delay Chagas' disease progression in T. cruzi–infected dogs, and confirm the potential of this novel treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]