Hosts and vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing units in the Chagas disease endemic region of the Paraguayan Chaco

Acosta, N., Lopez, E., Lewis, M. D., Llewellyn, M. S. , Gomez, A., Roman, F., Miles, M. A. and Yeo, M. (2017) Hosts and vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing units in the Chagas disease endemic region of the Paraguayan Chaco. Parasitology, 144(7), pp. 884-898. (doi: 10.1017/S0031182016002663) (PMID:28179034) (PMCID:PMC5471830)

Abstract

Active Trypanosoma cruzi transmission persists in the Gran Chaco region, which is considered hyperendemic for Chagas disease. Understanding domestic and sylvatic transmission cycles and therefore the relationship between vectors and mammalian hosts is crucial to designing and implementing improved effective control strategies. Here we describe the species of triatomine vectors and the sylvatic mammal reservoirs of T. cruzi, in different localities of the Paraguayan and Bolivian Chaco. We identify the T. cruzi genotypes discrete typing units (DTUs) and provide a map of their geographical distribution. A total of 1044 triatomines and 138 sylvatic mammals were captured. Five per cent of the triatomines were microscopically positive for T. cruzi (55 Triatoma infestans from Paraguay and one sylvatic Triatoma guasayana from Bolivia) and 17 animals (12·3%) comprising eight of 28 (28·5%) Dasypus novemcinctus, four of 27 (14·8%) Euphractus sexcinctus, three of 64 (4·7%) Chaetophractus spp. and two of 14 (14·3%) Didelphis albiventris. The most common DTU infecting domestic triatomine bugs was TcV (64%), followed by TcVI (28%), TcII (6·5%) and TcIII (1·5%). TcIII was overwhelmingly associated with armadillo species. We confirm the primary role of T. infestans in domestic transmission, armadillo species as the principal sylvatic hosts of TcIII, and consider the potential risk of TcIII as an agent of Chagas disease in the Chaco.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This survey was supported by Wellcome Trust funding, grant number 066806.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Llewellyn, Professor Martin
• Authors: Acosta, N., Lopez, E., Lewis, M. D., Llewellyn, M. S., Gomez, A., Roman, F., Miles, M. A., and Yeo, M.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Parasitology
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• ISSN: 0031-1820
• ISSN (Online): 1469-8161
• Published Online: 09 February 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 Cambridge University Press
• First Published: First published in Parasitology 144(7):884-898
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License