BACKGROUND Deforestation, driven by anthropogenic change in land use, influences the behaviour and abundance of vector-borne diseases. For various species of Chagas disease vectors, there is evidence that change in land use affects population density and abundance. Triatoma dimidiata is the most important Chagas vector in Guatemala, and at least one million people live in T. dimidiata endemic areas; however, infestation dynamics vary among regions, from high infestation with all life stages to low seasonal infestation by sylvatic adults. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate how land-use, combined with domiciliary risk factors, influences the infestation dynamics of T. dimidiata for four villages in a dry forest region with a strong deforestation history. METHODS Land use, measured with drone and satellite images, was classified into four categories (houses, monocultures and pastures, woodland and shrubland, and bare soil). Domiciliary risk factors and infestation were assessed through entomological surveys. Statistical analyses compared infestation indices and the ability of land use and domiciliary risk factors to explain infestation. FINDINGS Two villages had significantly higher infestation (26 and 30% vs. 5 and 6%), yet all villages had high colonisation (71-100% of infested houses had immature insects), with no significant difference among them. Because of the high level of deforestation across the study area, land use was not related to infestation; however, domiciliary risk factors were. A model based on four weighted domiciliary risk factors (adobe or bajareque walls, intradomicile animals, intradomicile clutter, and dirt floors) explains the infestation risk. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Because almost all infested houses have reproducing populations in this deforested dry forest region and statistical analysis identified the domiciliary risk factors for infestation, intermediate and long-term control of Chagas disease vectors in this region requires management of these risk factors.

中文翻译：

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危地马拉森林砍伐严重的热带干旱森林地区的Triatoma dimidiata侵染动态

背景技术由土地利用的人为改变驱动的森林砍伐影响媒介传播疾病的行为和丰富性。对于查加斯（Chagas）病媒的各种物种，有证据表明土地用途的变化会影响人口密度和丰度。Triatoma dimidiata是危地马拉最重要的南美锥虫媒介，至少有一百万人生活在T. dimidiata流行地区。然而，各地区的侵扰动态各不相同，从各个生命阶段的侵扰程度高到喜怒无常的成年成年人的季节性侵扰程度低。目的本研究的目的是评估土地利用，结合住所危险因素，如何对毁林历史悠久的干旱森林地区的四个村庄的T. dimidiata的侵染动态产生影响。方法用无人机和卫星图像测量的土地利用，分为四类（房屋，单一文化和牧场，林地和灌木地以及裸土）。通过昆虫学调查评估了家系危险因素和侵扰。统计分析比较了侵染指数，土地利用能力和户籍危险因素来解释侵染。结果发现两个村庄的虫害发生率明显更高（26％和30％，而5％和6％），但是所有村庄的定殖率都很高（71％至100％的被感染房屋中有未成熟的昆虫），两者之间没有显着差异。由于整个研究区域的森林砍伐程度很高，土地使用与侵扰无关。但是，住所危险因素是。基于四个加权的家系危险因素（阿多贝或怪异的墙壁，家中动物，家中杂物，和尘土地板）说明了这种侵扰的风险。主要结论因为在这个森林砍伐的干旱森林地区几乎所有受侵害的房屋都有繁殖种群，而统计分析确定了该地区查加斯病媒介侵染的家属危险因素，因此中长期控制南美锥虫病病媒需要对这些危险因素进行管理。