A simple immunometric assay to assess the feeding habits of Meprai spinolai , a Trypanosoma cruzi vector

Abstract

We propose a simple assay to assess the importance of seven vertebrate species as food sources for Mepria spinolai, a wild arthropod vector of Trypanosoma cruzi (the agent of Chagas' disease). Rabbits were immunized with serum proteins from one of each of the seven species. After titration, a consensus 1/100,000 dilution of the immune sera detected vertebrate serum proteins in the intestinal contents of 48.9% of 131 insects tested. The high proportion of negative samples is consistent with previous information indicating that these insects can withstand prolonged fasting periods. Alternatively, they may have fed on a different animal species than those used to produce the antisera. In about 70% of the positive samples, only one species of serum protein was detected. All pre-immune sera were negative. In 67% of the positive vectors, rabbit immunoglobulins were detected directly by means of a specific goat antibody. Thus, rabbits may play a role in T. cruzi transmission.

Entomological Indices, Feeding Sources, and Molecular Identification of Triatoma phyllosoma (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) One of the Main Vectors of Chagas Disease in the Istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico

“…A serum fraction depleted of bovine serum albumin by the Hitrap Blue System (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Sweden ) was used for the last two immunizations. 27 Immunizations were administered subcutaneously, the first with complete Freund's adjuvant and the last two with incomplete Freund's adjuvant. The presence of specific antibodies was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).…”

Feeding profile of Mepraia spinolai , a sylvatic vector of Chagas disease in Chile

“…To identify the triatomine feeding sources we used rabbit antisera against serum antigens, generated and basically used as described in Canals et al (2001) and Molina et al (2004). These antisera were generated against serum proteins from 7 mammals (Homo sapiens sapiens, Canis familiaris, Felis catus, Capra hircus, Mus musculus, Octodon degus, Thylamys elegans and Phyllotis darwini) and one bird species (Gallus gallus).…”

Eco-Epidemiology of Chagas Disease in Chile

“…In this sense M. spinolai is a potentially dangerous species, especially in areas where the usual contact with humans occurs, as in quarry areas, and in some areas around Santiago where it is currently being urbanized, such as Colina, Lampa, and Til-Til. Also, from the perspective of its food sources, M. spinolai is in the phase of domiciliation [4,29,30], with 7.4% human blood in its diet [29,31].…”