Domiciliary colonization by Panstrongylus geniculatus associated with human blood meal in Salto do Itararé, Paraná State, Brazil.

Abstract

Despite the control of Triatoma infestans in Brazil, other vectors remain implicated in the transmission of Chagas disease, making the maintenance of municipal entomological surveillance and health education actions indispensable. This study reports on the colonization of a home by triatomine bugs in a mattress, evidenced when a resident of Salto do Itararé, Paraná, delivered a nymph to the State Health Department in 2025 while she was lying in bed. The insect, identified as Panstrongylus geniculatus, although not infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, had ingested human blood, a particularly worrying finding since another resident of the same household was a chronic carrier of Chagas disease. This case highlights the persistent risk of transmission, emphasizing the critical need for continuous monitoring of species and dissemination of public health information by the competent authorities.