# Kissing bug kill trap for control of Trypanosoma cruzi infection

> **NIH NIH R21** · TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE RESEARCH · 2021 · $230,187

## Abstract

Project Summary
Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, transmitted by
triatomine ‘kissing bug’ insects. An estimated 6 million people are infected worldwide, including
240,000 to 350,000 people in the U.S., and WHO identifies Chagas disease as one of four
Neglected Tropical Diseases that does not have a cost-effective control tool. Disease control
relies heavily on reducing insect vectors although very few programs have allowed for
sustainable solutions that prevent spill-over of kissing bugs from sylvatic habitats to re-colonize
the domestic environment. This study will develop a kissing bug kill trap which autonomously
captures, kills, and preserves the insect vectors of T. cruzi. Building on two years of field trials
testing prior prototypes, this project will conduct behavioral bioassays with captive kissing bugs
to identify LED light wavelengths with maximum attraction. We will also conduct two years of
field experiments evaluating different LED light and reflective and fluorescing trap materials
which will synergistically optimize the capture of kissing bugs while minimizing non-target
bycatch. These field studies will be in Texas and Guatemala to ensure trap efficacy for multiple
species of kissing bugs that are primary vectors in the Americas. The development of this
standardized tool will allow for future large-scale surveillance to quantify spatio-temporal
variation in kissing bugs. This tool that captures and kills dispersing adult kissing bugs will also
permit future studies integrating this mass-trapping approach along with existing vector control
tools to reduce human risk of exposure to T. cruzi.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10354785
- **Project number:** 1R21AI166446-01
- **Recipient organization:** TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE RESEARCH
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Gilbert Banfield
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $230,187
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-22 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10354785

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10354785, Kissing bug kill trap for control of Trypanosoma cruzi infection (1R21AI166446-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10354785. Licensed CC0.

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