“Living Syringes”: Use of Hematophagous Bugs as Blood Samplers from Small and Wild Animals

Stadler, A.; Meiser, Christian Karl; Schaub, Günter A.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-19382-8_11

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Possible applications might involve hiding the insects at resting, drinking, or grooming sites. Stadler et al () hid insects under a second floor to bleed (sleeping) zoo carnivores. This approach might work with wild animals that return to a given sleeping site.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tsetse flies as tools for minimally invasive blood sampling

et al. 2013

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Collecting blood samples is an important aspect of wildlife studies where data on physiological parameters are required. To avoid stress to the test animals and its potential influence on the test parameters, minimally invasive blood sampling offers numerous advantages. Here, we describe using the African tsetse fly (Glossina brevipalpis) to sample blood from meerkats (Suricata suricatta) habituated to human presence. Prior to the experiments, test animals were trained with positive reinforcement to tolerate a box that enclosed the insects being attached to their neck. This method allows drawing blood samples at defined points of time and from specific individuals during captive studies. Additionally, because it presents the first example of an African haematophagous insect suitable for sampling blood, African field studies might benefit from this minimally invasive blood‐sampling technique without the risk of importing potentially invasive species. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tsetse flies as tools for minimally invasive blood sampling

et al. 2013

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“…The reduviid bug Dipetalogaster maxima (Fig. 1a) is the largest species of all triatomines [49] and thus convenient for use in blood sampling. Dipetalogaster maxima were purchased from Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, working group Zoology/Parasitology, where they were reared at a temperature of 26–28 °C, a relative humidity of 70% and with a photoperiod of 12/12 h (light/dark).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One colony of 100 first-instar larvae was kept in a 2 l beaker until they reached adult stage. The bugs were fed on chicken blood for 1 h [49]. After feeding, D. maxima molts depending on the climatic conditions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The development of D. maxima consists of five larval stages (L1–L5) until the imago hatches. The amount of blood ingested by the bug depends on the larval stage (up to 0.1 g, 0.2 g, 0.6 g, 1.2 g and 2.5 g from L1 to L5, respectively) [49], with the larvae increasing in mean total body length of about 0.8 cm (L1), 1.2 cm (L2), 1.5 cm (L3), 2.0 cm (L4) and 2.6 cm (L5) [55]. To obtain enough blood for analyses from each bug, large L4 or L5 larvae were used in this study, taking up approximately 0.8–1.2 ml of blood per bug.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Blood samples were used to investigate the protein profile of geckos [47, 48]. Later reduviid bugs were successfully used to collect blood for the determination of antibody titers for various disease such as rabies [44], rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) [45], tuberculosis (TB), bluetongue and brucellosis [49]. Reduviid bugs were furthermore used in endocrinologic studies [40, 46, 50, 51] and for genetic analysis [52].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Toxoplasma gondii in small exotic felids from zoos in Europe and the Middle East: serological prevalence and risk factors

Lücht

Stagegaard²,

Conraths

et al. 2019

Parasites Vectors

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Background Toxoplasma gondii infections and cases of clinical toxoplasmosis have been recorded in zoo animals. Wild felids in human care can serve as definitive hosts that shed oocysts, but also as intermediate hosts for the parasite. Some felid species, such as the Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) or sand cat (Felis margarita), may suffer from clinically apparent toxoplasmosis. In the present study, our main aim was to assess risk factors for T. gondii infections in small exotic felids. Methods A seroepidemiological study was conducted using the reduviid bug Dipetalogaster maxima for blood sample collection, a method previously evaluated on domestic cats. A total of 336 samples from 17 felid species were collected in 51 institutions, 48 of which were within Europe and the remaining three in the Middle East (United Arabic Emirates and Qatar). These samples were analyzed for T. gondii antibodies by immunoblotting and an immunofluorescent antibody test. Potential risk factors in zoos for seropositivity regarding T. gondii among members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) were evaluated using a questionnaire and individual data from the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS). Results The sampled felids showed an overall seroprevalence for T. gondii of 63%. The risk factor study including data of 311 small exotic cats of 10 species resulted in a final generalized linear mixed model comprised of five variables: the likelihood of seropositivity increased statistically significantly with “Age”, while feeding “Cattle: frozen” relative to “Cattle: fresh”, “Outdoor housing fenced in on all sides”, “Mesh size 2–5 cm” relative to “Mesh size > 5 cm” and “Wearing gloves: yes” had statistically significant protective effects. Conclusions Wild felids, including endangered species, kept in human care in European and Middle Eastern institutions, are widely exposed to T. gondii. Risk factor analysis revealed that feeding previously frozen tissues, keeping animals in enclosures that are fenced on all sides using fences with small mesh sizes, and wearing gloves when working inside enclosures seem to be the most relevant protective measures to prevent T. gondii infections in these animals.

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