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Sustainable Development Goals
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A COMMON CAATINGA CACTUS, PILOSOCEREUS GOUNELLEI, IS AN IMPORTANT ECOTOPE OF WILD TRIATOMA BRASILIENSIS POPULATIONS IN THE JAGUARIBE VALLEY OF NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL
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Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Ceará. Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
Fiocruz Amazônia. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Ceará. Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
Fiocruz Amazônia. Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.
Abstract
Triatoma brasiliensis is the most important vector of Chagas disease in the Caatinga eco-region of northeastern
Brazil. Wild T. brasiliensis populations have been reported only from rocky outcrops. However, this species
frequently infests/re-infests houses in rock-free sedimentary lowlands. We therefore hypothesized that it should also
occupy other natural ecotopes. We show that a common Caatinga cactus, Pilosocereus gounellei, locally known as
xiquexique, often harbors T. brasiliensis breeding colonies apparently associated with rodents (n = 44 cacti, infestation
rate = 47.7%, 157 bugs captured). Our findings suggest that infested cacti might be involved in house re-infestation by
T. brasiliensis in the Caatinga region.
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