Do the new triatomine species pose new challenges or strategies for monitoring Chagas disease? An overview from 1979-2021

Abstract

Chagas disease persists as one of the most important, and yet most neglected, diseases in the world, and several changes in its epidemiological aspects have been recorded since its discovery. Currently, some of the most relevant changes are related to: (i) the reduction in the incidence of the endemic due to the control of the most important vectors, Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus , in many countries; (ii) the migration of human populations spreading cases of the disease throughout the world, from endemic to non-endemic areas, transforming Chagas disease into a global threat; and (iii) new acute cases and deaths caused by oral transmission, especially in the north of Brazil. Despite the reduction in the number of cases, new challenges need to be responded to, including monitoring and control activities aiming to prevent house infestation by the secondary vectors from occurring. In 1979, Lent & Wygodzinsky (1) published the most complete review of the subfamily Triatominae, encompassing 111 recognised species in the taxon. Forty-two years later, 46 new species and one subspecies have been described or revalidated. Here we summarise the new species and contextualise them regarding their ecology, epidemiologic importance, and the obstacles they pose to the control of Chagas disease around the world.

Interrogating the transmission dynamics of Trypanosoma cruzi (Trypanosomatida, Trypanosomatidae) by Triatoma venosa (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) after the elimination of vector transmission by Rhodnius prolixus in Boyacá eastern Colombia

“…The Initiative of the Andean Countries (IPA) in Colombia has shown advances in the elimination of domiciled primary species and improve the understanding of the biology and ecology of native species associated with humans as T. dimidiata , but little progress has been made in the study of the eco-epidemiological characteristics of others species reported for a long time inside the dwellings such as T. venosa ( Corredor et al., 1990 ; Molina et al., 2000 ; Guhl et al., 2009 ; Parra-Henao et al 2015b; Costa et al., 2021 ; Rojas de Arias et al., 2021 ; Cantillo-Barraza et al., 2021 ; Velasquez-Ortiz et al., 2022 ). The scarce information about the ecology of this species could suggests a little epidemiological relevance in Chagas disease transmission ( Abad-Franch and Monteiro, 2007 ; Guhl et al., 2007 ; Guhl and Ramirez, 2013 ).…”

Coleção de Vetores de Tripanosomatídeos (Fiocruz/COLVET) held at the institution Fiocruz Minas in Brazil: diversity of Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) and relevance for research, education, and entomological surveillance

“…In this sense, it is extremely important that the collection is rich and diverse. Of the ~ 66 species of triatomines encountered in the Brazilian territory ( Costa et al 2021 ), 38 (57.6%) are present in the collection, which includes specimens from all biomes and all but three of the Brazilian states. The diversity represented by the species of scientific collections allows for a range of scientific possibilities beyond the specimen itself, as the metadata can be exploited, thus expanding the research power of the collection ( Zaspel et al 2020 ).…”

Morphological Stasis in Time? A Triatoma brasiliensis brasiliensis Study Using Geometric Morphometrics in the Long Run

“…Currently, there are more than 155 triatomine species, all considered to be potential vectors of T. cruzi [ 4 , 5 ]. In Brazil, a diverse fauna of triatomines is recorded, many of them composing species complexes.…”