Abstract
The entomological features of Chagas disease in two western Mexican villages were analyzed through triatomines collection by the inhabitants and active research in the peridomicile. The inhabitant collections have the following comparable characteristics: 1) Meccus longipennis was the dominant species (> 91%), 2) around 43% of the insects were collected indoors, 3) about 70% of triatomines were adults, 4) cumulated rates of infestation of the dwellings reached 40-50%, 5) the triatomine infection rate by Trypanosoma cruzi was > 50%, and 6) the indoor triatomines frequently feed on humans (range 38.5-56.2%). However, the collection was twice as abundant in the first village and the peridomicile infestation, evaluated by the active collection, reached up to 60% and only 4.9% in the other village. Furthermore, females predominated in the first village, whereas males in the other. The current results allow discussing the course of action to prevent Chagas disease in this region.