Comparison of some behavioral and physiological feeding parameters of Triatoma infestans klug, 1834 and Mepraia spinolai porter, 1934, vectors of chagas disease in Chile

Canals, Mauricio; Solı́s, Rigoberto; Tapia, Claudia; Ehrenfeld, Mildred; Cattan, Pedro E.

doi:10.1590/s0074-02761999000500025

Cited by 27 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(13 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This figure is close to the averages that can be calculated from other data given by Hays for adult T. sanguisuga [51], [81]: females grown from field-reared nymphs lived an average of 456.5 days, during which time they took an average of 88 bloodmeals, at an overall rate of 0.193 bites/vec/day, while males grown from field-reared nymphs took an average of 80 bloodmeals over 526 days, for a rate of 0.152 bites/vec/day. These figures are considerably lower than the figures obtained from the fieldwork of a group of researchers studying Triatoma infestans in Argentina, which gave bites/vec/day in one study [82] and monthly averages ranging from 0.30 bites/vec/day to 0.60 bites/vec/day in another [83], but they are consistent with estimates based on the work of another team in Chile [84], of bites/vec/day for T. infestans (meanSD) and bites/vec/day for Mepraia spinolai .…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 69%

Estimating Contact Process Saturation in Sylvatic Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in the United States

Kribs-Zaleta

2010

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although it has been known for nearly a century that strains of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent for Chagas' disease, are enzootic in the southern U.S., much remains unknown about the dynamics of its transmission in the sylvatic cycles that maintain it, including the relative importance of different transmission routes. Mathematical models can fill in gaps where field and lab data are difficult to collect, but they need as inputs the values of certain key demographic and epidemiological quantities which parametrize the models. In particular, they determine whether saturation occurs in the contact processes that communicate the infection between the two populations. Concentrating on raccoons, opossums, and woodrats as hosts in Texas and the southeastern U.S., and the vectors Triatoma sanguisuga and Triatoma gerstaeckeri, we use an exhaustive literature review to derive estimates for fundamental parameters, and use simple mathematical models to illustrate a method for estimating infection rates indirectly based on prevalence data. Results are used to draw conclusions about saturation and which population density drives each of the two contact-based infection processes (stercorarian/bloodborne and oral). Analysis suggests that the vector feeding process associated with stercorarian transmission to hosts and bloodborne transmission to vectors is limited by the population density of vectors when dealing with woodrats, but by that of hosts when dealing with raccoons and opossums, while the predation of hosts on vectors which drives oral transmission to hosts is limited by the population density of hosts. Confidence in these conclusions is limited by a severe paucity of data underlying associated parameter estimates, but the approaches developed here can also be applied to the study of other vector-borne infections.

show abstract

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 69%

Estimating Contact Process Saturation in Sylvatic Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in the United States

Kribs-Zaleta

2010

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…6 It is the only species of Triatominae with wing polymorphism, and an aggressive behavior to feed on any potential host. 7 This species presents a longer generation time compared with T. infestans and different feeding and defecation behavior. [8][9][10][11] Mepraia spinolai is often found in rocky sylvatic ecotopes associated with small rodents and rabbits and also in peridomestic ecotopes, such as henhouses and goat corrals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Epidemiology of Chagas Disease in the Wild Transmission Cycle: The Evaluation in the Sylvatic Vector Mepraia spinolai from an Endemic Area of Chile

Coronado¹,

Rozas²,

Botto‐Mahan³

et al. 2009

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The sylvatic transmission cycle of Chagas disease in Chile is composed of wild mammals and insects of the genus Mepraia . We determined infection rates and Trypanosoma cruzi genotypes in Mepraia spinolai . We collected 227 insects from two ecologically contrasting areas to assess T. cruzi infection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified minicircle DNAs were characterized by Southern blot and hybridization tests with genotype-specific probes. Infection in insects from the more fertile area was almost 2-fold higher than in the poorer area. The genotype TCI was the most prevalent and other genotypes such as TCIIb, TCIId, and TCIIe were found at lower rates. The areas differed in their genotype distribution but not in their genotype diversity. We suggest that the difference in abundance and richness of mammals between the areas may be producing the detected infection levels in vectors. Our results are compared with those reported for mammals from the same area.

show abstract

“…These vectors urinate/defecate during or after feeding from a rapid to a delayed behavior according the triatomine species. 5 Several factors, such as the competition of enterobacteria of the flora and T. cruzi with its vector for nutrients, and thereby, feeding affect not only parasite density and insect molting but also, changes in the epimastigote/trypomastigote ratio in the rectum of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera, Triatominae). 6 The rectal parasite density increases until several weeks post-infection with regular blood meals, reaching maximal values of several million parasites.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second feature that makes M. spinolai a vector of low transmissibility is the delayed defecation behavior during feeding compared with other competent vectors, such as T. infestans. 5 However, in infected insects, the period of time before defecation is shortened to a few minutes. 22 Although Mepraia spp.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Mepraia gajardoi and Mepraia spinolai: The Effect of Feeding Nymphs from the Field

Egaña

Vergara

Campos

et al. 2014

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. We evaluated Trypanosoma cruzi infection rates by means of minicircle DNA-based polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) in 70 starved Mepraia gajardoi from northern Chile and 65 M. spinolai from central Chile after feeding. Immediately after collection in the field, 20% of M. gajardoi were found infected; after feeding, 67% of the uninfected were infected. One group of M. spinolai seemed to be completely uninfected, but after the first and second feedings, 62% and 59% were positive, respectively.The protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastida Trypanosomatidae), etiologic agent of Chagas disease, is mainly transmitted to mammals by contamination of the skin lesions with triatomine insect feces with parasites.1 In a regularly fed infected triatomine, T. cruzi amplify as epimastigotes, which later, differentiate to trypomastigotes that are eliminated by the feces. Several biological factors modulate T. cruzi-insect vector interactions, including food supply, intestinal components, gut flora, T. cruzi strain, and insect physiology.2 The Triatominae subfamily is composed of 146 species distributed in 18 genera and grouped into six tribes.3,4 Important vectors rapidly defecate on the host. These vectors urinate/defecate during or after feeding from a rapid to a delayed behavior according the triatomine species.5 Several factors, such as the competition of enterobacteria of the flora and T. cruzi with its vector for nutrients, and thereby, feeding affect not only parasite density and insect molting but also, changes in the epimastigote/trypomastigote ratio in the rectum of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera, Triatominae). 6 The rectal parasite density increases until several weeks post-infection with regular blood meals, reaching maximal values of several million parasites. The parasite density is only strongly influenced by very long starvation up to 20 weeks. [7][8][9] In the laboratory, the feeding status also modulated the olfactory host search behavior of triatomines.10 In Chile, the wild vector of Chagas disease is Mepraia spp. (Hemiptera, Triatominae), which is composed of three different species: M. gajardoi, M. spinolai, and M. parapatrica.11-13 M. gajardoi and M. spinolai are frequently found in corrals of domestic animals and stony hills and rock crevices of arid zones of the northern and semiarid areas of central Chile, respectively. Between 11% and 27% infections with T. cruzi were found in M. gajardoi.14 Infection rates in M. spinolai range from 46% to 54%. 15 In the national surveillance program of triatomine vectors, 11-47% of these species were infected. 16 Thus, the aim of this study is to determine T. cruzi infection in M. gajardoi and M. spinolai by assessing infection on insects under natural conditions (right after collection) and reassessing after feeding in the laboratory.In the laboratory overall, 70 M. gajardoi nymphs stages III-V from Vitor and 35 and 30 M. spinolai nymphs stages III-V from Illapel and Colina, respectively, were studied. The insects were maintained and fed individually inside ...

show abstract

Comparison of some behavioral and physiological feeding parameters of Triatoma infestans klug, 1834 and Mepraia spinolai porter, 1934, vectors of chagas disease in Chile

Cited by 27 publications

References 12 publications

Estimating Contact Process Saturation in Sylvatic Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in the United States

Estimating Contact Process Saturation in Sylvatic Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in the United States

Molecular Epidemiology of Chagas Disease in the Wild Transmission Cycle: The Evaluation in the Sylvatic Vector Mepraia spinolai from an Endemic Area of Chile

Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Mepraia gajardoi and Mepraia spinolai: The Effect of Feeding Nymphs from the Field

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About