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

Egaña, Camila; Vergara, Fernanda; Campos, Ricardo; Ortíz, Sylvia; Botto‐Mahan, Carezza; Solari, Aldo

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.13-0721

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The presence of this species, on the northern coast of Chile, characterized by coastal desert climate, means that this insect may come into contact with people and their homes and may cause a particular epidemiological situation, differing from the situation that occurs in central to northern Chile with M. spinolai, which occasionally, as a result of immigration from peri-domestic or wild environments, colonizes human dwellings (Frías et al, 1995;Cattan et al, 2002). Mepraia gajardoi is naturally infected with T. cruzi with percentages between 11 and 27% infection (Toledo et al, 2013;Egaña et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An entomological and seroepidemiological study of the vectorial‐transmission risk of Chagas disease in the coast of northern Chile

González

Reyes

Canals

et al. 2015

Medical Vet Entomology

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Four species of triatomines are known from Chile: Triatoma infestans Klug, Mepraia spinolai Porter, M. gajardoi Frías, Henry & González, and M. parapatrica Frías (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), the last three are endemic. The geographical distribution of M. gajardoi includes the coastal areas in the north of Chile between 18° and 21°S, an area with both a resident workforce and summer-season visitors. A study was developed to assess the risk of vectorial transmission of Chagas disease by M. gajardoi in hut settlements on the coast of the Tarapacá Region, in particular in Caleta San Marcos and Caleta Río Seco. The study comprised fingerstick sampling of 95 persons, venous samples from 29 domestic dogs and capture of 52 triatomines, from both fishing coves. The samples were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The results show that, of the total number of persons studied, 100% were negative for Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) antibodies, 10.34% of canids were positive for the antibody and 5.8% of M. gajardoi were infected to the PCR technique. The presence of this species in areas close to human settlements constitutes a risk to human populations established on the coast of northern Chile.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An entomological and seroepidemiological study of the vectorial‐transmission risk of Chagas disease in the coast of northern Chile

González

Reyes

Canals

et al. 2015

Medical Vet Entomology

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“…One explanation for the finding of lower infection rates in M. gajardoi could be that some of the blood donor vertebrates such as birds are refractory to T. cruzi infections and interrupt T. cruzi transmission (Kierszenbaum et al 1976). Interestingly, insects of Caleta Vitor analyzed after two consecutive feedings with M. musculus resulted in infection rates over 65% (Egaña et al 2014).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions BetweenTrypanosoma cruzithe Chagas Disease Parasite and Naturally Infected WildMepraiaVectors of Chile

Campos‐Soto

Ortíz

Cordova

et al. 2016

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

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Chagas disease, which ranks among the world's most neglected diseases, is a chronic, systemic, parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Mepraia species are the wild vectors of this parasite in Chile. Host-parasite interactions can occur at several levels, such as co-speciation and ecological host fitting, among others. Thus, we are exploring the interactions between T. cruzi circulating in naturally infected Mepraia species in all areas endemic of Chile. We evaluated T. cruzi infection rates of 27 different haplotypes of the wild Mepraia species and identified their parasite genotypes using minicircle PCR amplification and hybridization tests with genotype-specific DNA probes. Infection rates were lower in northern Chile where Mepraia gajardoi circulates (10-35%); in central Chile, Mepraia spinolai is most abundant, and infection rates varied in space and time (0-55%). T. cruzi discrete typing units (DTUs) TcI, TcII, TcV, and Tc VI were detected. Mixed infections with two or more DTUs are frequently found in highly infected insects. T. cruzi DTUs have distinct, but not exclusive, ecological and epidemiological associations with their hosts. T. cruzi infection rates of M. spinolai were higher than in M. gajardoi, but the presence of mixed infection with more than one T. cruzi DTU was the same. The same T. cruzi DTUs (TcI, TcII, TcV, and TcVI) were found circulating in both vector species, even though TcI was not equally distributed. These results suggest that T. cruzi DTUs are not associated with any of the two genetically related vector species nor with the geographic area. The T. cruzi vectors interactions are discussed in terms of old and recent events. By exploring T. cruzi DTUs present in Mepraia haplotypes and species from northern to central Chile, we open the analysis on these invertebrate host-parasite interactions.

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“…Importantly, in the case of insects which are vectors of human diseases, this modulation can have significant implications for parasite disease transmission (e.g. Egaña et al, 2014). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hunger is the best spice: Effects of starvation in the antennal responses of the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus

Reisenman

2014

Journal of Insect Physiology

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Blood-sucking insects strongly rely on olfactory cues to find their vertebrate hosts. As in other insects with different lifestyles, it has been shown that endogenous and exogenous factors modulate olfactory responses. The triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus is an important vector of Chagas Disease and a classical model for studies of physiology and behavior. In this species, the behavioral response to host-derived odorants is modulated by both the time of the day and the starvation. Here I investigated the peripheral neural mechanisms underlying these modulatory effects. For this, I measured the electroantennogram (EAG) responses of insects towards different concentrations (from 0.5% to 75% vol/vol) of an attractive host- odorant, ammonia. I tested the responses of starved and fed animals during the middle of the day (when insects are inactive and aggregated in refuges) and at the beginning of the night (when insects become active and search for hosts). Regardless of the time of the day and the starvation status, EAG responses systematically increased with odorant concentration, thus accurately reflecting the response of olfactory receptor cells. Interestingly, the EAG responses of starved insects were larger than those of fed insects only during the night, with larger differences (6–7 times) observed at low-middle concentrations. This is study is, to my knowledge, the first reporting modulation of sensory responses at the neural level in triatomines. This modulation, considering that triatomine hosts are mostly diurnal and are also potential predators, has an important adaptive value, ensuring that insects search for hosts only when they are hungry and at appropriate times.

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

Cited by 14 publications

References 17 publications

An entomological and seroepidemiological study of the vectorial‐transmission risk of Chagas disease in the coast of northern Chile

An entomological and seroepidemiological study of the vectorial‐transmission risk of Chagas disease in the coast of northern Chile

Interactions BetweenTrypanosoma cruzithe Chagas Disease Parasite and Naturally Infected WildMepraiaVectors of Chile

Hunger is the best spice: Effects of starvation in the antennal responses of the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus

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