New technologies for identification and surveillance of Chagas disease vectors

Gurgel-Gonçalves, Rodrigo; Julião, Genimar Rebouças; Ferreira, Raquel Aparecida; Souza, Rita de Cássia Moreira de; Rojas-Cortez, Mirko; Vieira, Thallyta Maria; Miranda, Vinícius Lima de; Brant, Jonas Lotufo; Obara, Marcos Takashi; Silva, Rafaella Albuquerque e; Ibarrola-Vannucci, Ana Karina; Marti, Gerardo; Ceccarelli, Soledad

doi:10.1590/0037-8682-0597-2025

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Review Article • Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. 59 • 2026 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0597-2025 linkcopy

New technologies for identification and surveillance of Chagas disease vectors

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Technologies are essential for surveillance of vector-borne diseases. The increasing frequency of triatomine house invasion in the Americas highlights the need to strengthen surveillance strategies. This narrative review examines how emerging technologies can improve identification and reporting of Chagas disease vectors. We analyzed studies published between 2015 and 2025 on digital tools for triatomine surveillance. Technologies were grouped by purpose: (1) identification apps (TriatoKey, TriatoDex, automated identification); (2) community engagement platforms (WhatsBarb, TriatoChat); and (3) institutional surveillance systems (SISVetor-Chagas, GeoVin, Triatomine Information Posts). We summarize their characteristics, applications, knowledge gaps, and potential integration with national surveillance systems, and discuss implications for public health policy. Digital innovation and citizen-based surveillance may support improved prevention and control of vector-borne Chagas disease.

Keywords:
Chagas disease; Triatomines; Surveillance; Technology; Devices; Apps

Technologies	Target users	Validation level	Operational applicability	Main limitations
TriatoKey	Professionals and general population	Tested by 24 community health agents and 20 ordinary people	Users can send photos to taxonomists or compare suspected insects with available species	Does not include images of all triatomine species native to Brazil
TriatoDex	Professionals	Tested by 27 Brazilian users (reference laboratory workers, surveillance workers, researchers, students)	Includes images of all triatomine species; performed similarly to, but faster than, a printed key	Characters may be insufficient to discriminate among morphologically similar species
Technologies based on machine learning	Professionals and general population	Interface/application under development; not yet validated	Anyone with an internet-connected smartphone can photograph a triatomine, upload the image, and receive identification	Requires incorporation of a greater number of triatomine species
TriatoChat	Professionals and general population	Tested by 10 specialists using a Likert scale; prototype tested with residents of Minas Gerais using a 0-10 satisfaction scale	WhatsApp chatbot provides automated guidance on triatomine identification, Chagas prevention, post-contact procedures, and insecticide use; allows image submission, collects vector occurrence data, and integrates with surveillance systems to generate risk maps	Depends on internet access; accuracy depends on data and image quality; requires continuous validation and integration with official surveillance systems
WhatsBarb	Professionals and general population	Tested in 20 of the 26 states of Brazil and the Federal District	Users can send photos, questions, and comments; responses include insect identification, prevention recommendations, and referral to control and surveillance systems	Volunteer adherence and need for specialist support
SISVetor-Chagas	Professionals	Tested in six municipalities using the System Usability Scale and qualitative assessment	Decentralized architecture allowing municipal, regional, state-level, and federal units to operate independently while maintaining data ownership	High turnover of professionals requiring frequent training; limited financial resources for software sustainability
GeoVin	Mainly general population, also professionals	Tested and used by provincial health agents in 20 of the 23 provinces of Argentina	Users can send photos of suspected triatomines and receive responses coordinated with provincial health authorities	Currently operational only in Argentina
Triatomine Information Posts	General population	Fully operational and validated system	Provides structured community-based insect reception points	Operational applicability currently limited; 20 limitations described in Amaral et al.³⁵

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