DNA evidence of Trypanosoma cruzi in the Chilean wild vector Mepraia spinolai (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

Molecular evidence showed 46.2% of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Mepraia spinolai insects from North-Central Chile, which is significantly higher than previous reports of up to 26% by microscopic observation. Our results show similar infection levels among nymphal stages, ranging from 38.3 to 54.1%, indicating that younger nymphs could be as important as older ones in parasite transmission. A cautionary note must be stressed to indicate the potential role of M. spinolai in transmitting T. cruzi in country areas due to the high infection level detected by molecular analysis.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Botto-Mahan,Carezza, Ortiz,Sylvia, Rozas,Marlene, Cattan,Pedro E, Solari,Aldo
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2005
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762005000300003
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