Chagas disease parasite induces behavioural changes in the kissing bug Mepraia spinolai

Abstract

Parasites have been shown to manipulate the feeding behaviour of their invertebrate vectors, which results in an increased probability of transmission to definitive hosts. Most evidence for this hypothesis comes from protozoan species with salivary transmission but evidence for stercorarian parasite transmission is lacking. We present experimental evidence that infection of the kissing bug Mepraia spinolai (Hemiptera; Reduviidae) with the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi reduced the time to detect potential hosts in comparison to control insects. Infected bugs bit about twice more often than uninfected nymphs and defecated 8 min after the last blood meal whereas uninfected bugs needed 11 min. The behaviour of male and female nymphs did not differ significantly. Since all of these traits relate to parasite transmission, we suggest that parasite-mediated changes in the foraging and defecation behaviour of M. spinolai may promote the spread of T cruzi toward definitive hosts.