Genetic structure of Triatoma infestans populations in rural communities of Santiago del Estero, northern Argentina

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: PL Marcet, Universidad de Buenos Aires; MS Mora, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; AP Cutrera, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; L Jones, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; RE Gürtler, Universidad de Buenos Aires; Uriel Kitron, Emory University; EM Dotson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Language: English
• Date: 2008-12-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. or its licensors or contributors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2008.08.002
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Infection, Genetics and Evolution
• ISSN: 1567-1348
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 6
• Start Page: 835
• End Page: 846
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was supported by awards from the National Institutes of Health/National Science Foundation Ecology of Infectious Disease program award R01 TW05836 funded by the Fogarty International Center and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to U. Kitron and R.E. Gürtler; the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Técnica (Argentina); and University of Buenos Aires to R.E. Gürtler.; R.E. Gürtler is member of CONICET Researcher’s Career.
• Keywords: Insecticides; Genetic Variation; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Population Dynamics; Animals; Male; Linkage Disequilibrium; Rural Population; Bayes Theorem; Chagas Disease; Humans; Female; Analysis of Variance; Insect Vectors; Sex Distribution; Triatoma; Argentina; Monte Carlo Method; Microsatellite Repeats; Insect Control
• Research Categories: Environmental Sciences; Biology, Entomology; Biology, Genetics

Abstract

To gain an understanding of the genetic structure and dispersal dynamics of Triatoma infestans populations, we analyzed the multilocus genotype of 10 microsatellite loci for 352 T. infestans collected in 21 houses of 11 rural communities in October 2002. Genetic structure was analyzed at the community and house compound levels. Analysis revealed that vector control actions affected the genetic structure of T. infestans populations. Bug populations from communities under sustained vector control (core area) were highly structured and genetic differentiation between neighboring house compounds was significant. In contrast, bug populations from communities with sporadic vector control actions were more homogeneous and lacked defined genetic clusters. Genetic differentiation between population pairs did not fit a model of isolation by distance at the microgeographical level. Evidence consistent with flight or walking bug dispersal was detected within and among communities, dispersal was more female-biased in the core area and results suggested that houses received immigrants from more than one source. Putative sources and mechanisms of re-infestation are described. These data may be use to design improved vector control strategies.