Infección por Trypanosoma cruzi y polimorfismo del Citocromo B del ADN mitocondrial en Triatoma maculata de Anzoategui y Portuguesa, Venezuela

in order to understand more about the populational dynamics of triatoma maculata, the genetic polimorphism and the infection indexes of trypanosoma cruzi were analysed, using triatomine obtained from different ecotopes and geographical regions. the parasitic infection index of t. maculata was 29.8% using the microscope direct observation, and 40.3% by the polymerase chain reaction method. both methods were important for epidemiological screening of the vectors with low potential of infection. the amplification of one region the cyt b gene of these organisms, followed by a restriction fragments length polymorphism analysis, allowed us to establish different patterns of bands according to the geographic origin of each population, which indicates the lack of migration between individuals of portuguesa and anzoátegui states. these genetic differences may be associated with changes in adaptative events involved in the colonization of new habitats. the lack of polymorphism among vectors collected in different habitats of the same region showed an important genetic flow which has epidemiological implications in the risk of transmission of the disease, showing that the presence of t. maculata in houses cannot be ignored.