Humans as blood-feeding sources in sylvatic triatomines of Chile unveiled by next-generation sequencing.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Triatomines are blood-sucking insects capable of transmitting Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease in humans. Vectorial transmission entails an infected triatomine feeding on a vertebrate host, release of triatomine infective dejections, and host infection by the entry of parasites through mucous membranes, skin abrasions, or the biting site; therefore, transmission to humans is related to the triatomine-human contact. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated whether humans were detected in the diet of three sylvatic triatomine species (Mepraia parapatrica, Mepraia spinolai, and Triatoma infestans) present in the semiarid-Mediterranean ecosystem of Chile.

Methods

We used triatomines collected from 32 sites across 1100 km, with an overall T

SUBMITTER: San Juan E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10327138 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature