Trypanosoma cruzi infection, discrete typing units and feeding sources among Psammolestes arthuri (Reduviidae: Triatominae) collected in eastern Colombia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, and is transmitted by hematophagous insects of the family Reduviidae. Psammolestes arthuri is a sylvatic triatomine distributed in Colombia and Venezuela which feeds on birds and there are a few studies that have reported Ps. arthuri naturally infected with T. cruzi. In Colombia, Ps. arthuri has been found in dwellings, making it important to evaluate its possible role in the T. cruzi transmission cycle. We aimed to evaluate the presence of T. cruzi and feeding sources of Ps. arthuri to elucidate new possible scenarios of T. cruzi transmission in the country.

Methods

A total of 60 Ps. arthuri were collected in Arauca and Casanare, Colombia. We detected and genotyped T. cruzi and identified

SUBMITTER: Velasquez-Ortiz N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6454608 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature