A spatial agent based model for the simulation of house infestation by R. prolixus the principal vector of Chagas disease in Colombia

Chagas disease is one of the most relevant neglected tropical diseases in Latin America. Despite control strategies that included exhaustive human dwellings´ fumigations, the eradication of the disease has been unsuccessful due, in part, to vector migration. It has been suggested that contact rates between insects and people is an important factor determining the severity of the disease. Thus, understanding the relation between the insects´ population distribution in houses and palms, and infestation risk factors could be important factor in designing control strategies. Here we developed an agent-based model of a hypothetical village in Colombia composed by houses and palms where insects interact based on relevant biological aspects. We used the model to weight the contribution of risk factors for house infestation (construction materials, number of people per house, number of domestic species per house, light and distance between houses and palms). We found that the model reproduced observed field studies data such as insects´ densities and distribution within palms and houses. House construction materials improvement and reducing the number of people per house could be two strategies to struggle against house infestation.