The biology of the triatomine bugs native to south central texas and assessment of the risk they pose for autochthonous chagas disease exposure.

THE BIOLOGY OF THE TRIATOMINE BUGS NATIVE TO SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE RISK THEY POSE FOR AUTOCHTHONOUS CHAGAS DISEASE EXPOSURE. J Parasitol. 2015 Jul 13; Authors: Wozniak EJ, Lawrence G, Gorchakov R, Murray KO, Alamgir AH, Dotson E, Sissel B, Sarkar S Abstract Triatomine bugs are a group of hematophagous arthropods that can serve as biological vectors for Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease). Because of differences in the biology and feeding habits among triatomine species, some are more likely than others to be involved in zoonotic and/or human-to-human transmission cycles of T. cruzi. In an attempt to assess the risk for Chagas disease exposure in south-central Texas, human habitations across Texas Health Service Region 8 (HSR 8) and surrounding counties were surveyed for triatomines to better characterize their geographic distribution, species-specific biology, and T. cruzi infection prevalence. Between May 2010 and August 2013, a total of 545 triatomines representing all 5 known indigenous species (Triatoma gerstaeckeri, Triatoma indictiva, Triatoma lecticularia, Triatoma sanguisuga, and Triatoma protracta woodi) were collected from 59 sites across the region. Triatoma gerstaeckeri was the species most commonly found in domestic and peridomestic ecotopes across Texas HSR 8, representing over 80% of the triatomines collected. Adult T. gerstaeckeri exhibited a season...
Source: The Journal of Parasitology - Category: Parasitology Authors: Tags: J Parasitol Source Type: research