[Experimental antitriatomic program in Santiago]

The rural migration to urban centers occurred since the 40s in many Latin American countries, including Santiago the capital city of Chile, originated a growing belt of premises built with light poor material (the rests of previous rural habitations, mud, pieces of timber, plastic and cardboard for walls, and cane stalks and artificial clinkstones for roofs) giving raise to many types of slums. This situation facilitated the passive transport of the different instars, including eggs, of triatomine bugs. Due to the fact that in the 1959-1960 warm seasons, the Santiago province health institutions had received an increasing reported number of triatomine bugs (Triatoma infestans) in dwellings from different periurban, even urban and rural sections of the province, the central local health authorities with the advise of the University of Chile, Department of Parasitology decided to carry out an experimental program against these vectors of Chagas' disease. The program consisted basically in an spray and thorough application of liquid forms (emulsion, suspension, solution) of 1% lindane (average > or = 500 mg per 1 m2), depending on the material of the constructions, to all the surfaces of walls, ceilings, attics and peridomiciliary structures of all the infested dwellings in a sector and those located less than 100 m around. In order to reach triatomine bugs not affected, for different reasons, in the first spraying, a second application, identical to the first was performed to the total number of premises between 30 and 120 days later. Periodical evaluations were made, and positive dwellings found and neighboring ones were sprayed again. During insecticide applications adequate protection measures for spraying workers, inhabitants, domestic animals, household goods and food were adopted. All the steps of the program were accompanied by health education activities directed to individuals, families, school teachers and community institutions, tending to motivate the people to an active participation, as in the report of the presence or reappearing of triatomines in premises as in cooperating in the sprayings and improving the material conditions of their properties. Thus, in the period 1960-1972 the following goals were achieved: 1) Spraying twice with 1% lindane 32,708 dwellings located in 199 quarters from 26 periurban and rural sections. 2) Protection to 191,090 people against T. infestans bites and the eventual acquired chagasic infection. 3) Percentages of triatomines infested dwellings decreased from to 18.7 to 3.0 according to residents and from 3.0 to 0.3 according insects collection. At present, a significant proportion of the sprayed dwellings has been demolished and replaced by new constructions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)