Laboratory and field studies for the control of Chagas disease vectors using the fungus <i>Metarhizium anisopliae</i>
Drauzio E.N. Rangel, Aquiles Eugênico Piedrabuena, Isaac Roitman, Cláudio Luiz Messias
Abstract
Abstract Chagas disease is one of the most important insect‐vectored diseases in Brazil. The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae was evaluated against nymphs and adults of Panstrongylus megistus, Triatoma infestans , and T. sordida . Pathogenicity tests at saturated humidity demonstrated high susceptibility to fungal infection. The shortest estimates of 50% lethal time (LT 50 ) for P. megistus varied from 4.6 (isolate E9) to 4.8 days (genetically modified strain 157p). For T. infestans , the shortest LT 50 was 6.3 (E9) and 7.3 days (157p). For T. sordida , the shortest LT 50 was 8.0 days (157p). The lethal concentration sufficient to kill 50% of T. infestans (LC 50 ) was 1.9 × 10 7 conidia/ml for strain 157p. In three chicken coops that were sprayed with M. anisopliae , nymphs especially were well controlled, with a great population reduction of 38.5% after 17 days. Therefore M. anisopliae performed well, controlling Triatominae in both laboratory and field studies.