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

Chacón, Francisco; Bacigalupo, Antonella; Quiroga, John; Ferreira, Arturo; Cattan, Pedro E.; Ramírez-Toloza, Galia

doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.06.027

Cited by 23 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Indeed, these rodents constitute an important proportion of M. spinolai diet 18 , suggesting that these microsites represent critical patches for vector establishment and population growth. However, it has also been described that when M. spinolai is associated with rural housing, they feed on domestic animals such as dogs, cats, goats, among others 35 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lizards and rabbits may increase Chagas infection risk in the Mediterranean-type ecosystem of South America

Juan

Araya‐Donoso

Sandoval-Rodríguez

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Studies of host-parasite relationships largely benefit from adopting a multifactorial approach, including the complexity of multi-host systems and habitat features in their analyses. Some host species concentrate most infection and contribute disproportionately to parasite and vector population maintenance, and habitat feature variation creates important heterogeneity in host composition, influencing infection risk and the fate of disease dynamics. Here, we examine how the availability of specific groups of hosts and habitat features relate to vector abundance and infection risk in 18 vector populations along the Mediterranean-type ecosystem of South America, where the kissing bug Mepraia spinolai is the main wild vector of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. For each population, data on vectors, vertebrate host availability, vegetation, precipitation, and temperature were collected and analyzed. Vector abundance was positively related to temperature, total vegetation, and European rabbit availability. Infection risk was positively related to temperature, bromeliad cover, and reptile availability; and negatively to the total domestic mammal availability. The invasive rabbit is suggested as a key species involved in the vector population maintenance. Interestingly, lizard species-a group completely neglected as a potential reservoir-, temperature, and bromeliads were relevant factors accounting for infection risk variation across populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lizards and rabbits may increase Chagas infection risk in the Mediterranean-type ecosystem of South America

Juan

Araya‐Donoso

Sandoval-Rodríguez

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…Rodents are frequently found in triatomines’ blood meals [ 24 , 25 ]. If the rodent species sampled in our study are a food source for triatomines, their high infection levels with T. cruzi may be indicating that wild or peridomestic triatomines are getting these parasites through their blood meals, and in this way they are favoring the transmission of T. cruzi in the wild and peridomestic cycles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trypanosoma cruzi load in synanthropic rodents from rural areas in Chile

et al. 2018

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BackgroundTrypanosoma cruzi is the agent of Chagas disease, a major public health problem in Latin America. Many wild and domestic animals are naturally infected with T. cruzi; rodents are one of the groups which have been consistently detected infected in different countries. The aim of this work was to characterize blood T. cruzi load in naturally infected rodents from a Chagas disease endemic region in Chile.MethodsBaited traps were set in domestic and peridomestic areas of rural dwellings. The rodents were anesthetized and blood sampled; DNA was extracted and the parasite load was quantified by T. cruzi satellite DNA real-time PCR assays.ResultsSeventy-one rodents of four species, Rattus rattus, Mus musculus, Phyllotis darwini and Octodon degus, were captured; R. rattus was the most abundant species. Fifty-nine samples (83.1%) were T. cruzi-positive and the median value of the parasite load was 2.99 parasite equivalents (par-eq)/ml. The comparison of frequency of infection or parasite load by species showed no differences. However, one R. rattus presented very elevated parasitemia (1644 par-eq/ml).ConclusionsThe overall levels of parasitemia were similar to those found in humans in Chile. The high infection levels in exotic and endemic rodents very near to rural settlements increases their relevance as T. cruzi hosts.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2771-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…This disease poses a risk to the human population and is one of the more prevalent zoonotic diseases in the Norte Chico of Chile (Frías et al, 1998;Ortiz et al, 2016). In this respect, Chacón et al (2016) indicated that the most frequent feeding source used by Trypanosoma cruzi was Phyllotis darwini (Waterhouse), followed by Octodon degus (Molina), Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus), Mus musculus Linnaeus, Gallus gallus Linnaeus, Thylamys elegans Waterhouse, Canis familiaris Linnaeus, Felis catus Linnaeus and Capra hircus Linnaeus. All these taxa are distributed along the entire Limarí basin.…”

Section: Arthropods Of Medical-veterinary Importance In the Limarí Basinmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arthropods of forestry and medical-veterinary importance in the Limarí basin (Coquimbo region, Chile)

Pizarro-Araya¹,

Alfaro²,

Muñoz-Rivera³

et al. 2019

Ciencia e investigación agraria

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Arthopods of forestry and medical-veterinary importance in the Limarí basin (Coquimbo region, Chile). Cien. Inv. Agr. 46(1): 40-49. The Limarí River valley, located in the Coquimbo Region of Chile, is an important area for agricultural production that pertains to the transverse valleys ecoregion, known as Norte Chico. In recent decades, the continuous expansion of agriculture towards the dryland areas has favored the introduction and establishment of potential pests, such as arthropods, that may affect forestry crops and transmit zoonotic diseases. We analyzed the arthropod assemblages that were of forestry and medical-veterinary importance in the Limarí basin. After reviewing historical data, specimen collections, and the available literature, a total of 10 families, 39 genera, and 51 species of arthropods of forestry importance were recorded, 43.1% of which were of quarantine importance. Xylophagous groups of quarantine importance to the US included Cryptotermes brevis (Kalotermitidae), Neoterius mystax (Bostrichidae), Tyndaris planata (Buprestidae), Rhyephenes humeralis (Curculionidae) and Phoracantha recurva (Cerambycidae). Other quarantine insects of forestry importance recorded in the area included were Micrapate scabrata and Polycaon chilensis (Bostrichidae). In addition, the groups of medical-veterinary importance were represented by 11 families, 14 genera, and 18 species, 9 of which were arachnids and 9 were insects. Among the identified arachnids, the most important genera were Loxosceles (Sicariidae), Latrodectus, Steatoda (Theridiidae) and Rhipicephalus (Ixodidae), whereas among the identified insects, the most important were Triatoma and Mepraia (Reduviidae), Pediculus (Pediculidae), and Ceratophyllus (Ceratophyllidae). We hope this study serves as a basis for the development of forest pest monitoring and control programs as well as an understanding of the potential risks posed by zoonotic agents and their implications for public health.

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

Cited by 23 publications

References 19 publications

Lizards and rabbits may increase Chagas infection risk in the Mediterranean-type ecosystem of South America

Lizards and rabbits may increase Chagas infection risk in the Mediterranean-type ecosystem of South America

Trypanosoma cruzi load in synanthropic rodents from rural areas in Chile

Arthropods of forestry and medical-veterinary importance in the Limarí basin (Coquimbo region, Chile)

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