Survivorship of wild caught Mepraia spinolai nymphs: The effect of seasonality and Trypanosoma cruzi infection after feeding and fasting in the laboratory
Author
dc.contributor.author
Cabe, A. Mc
Author
dc.contributor.author
Yañez, F.
Author
dc.contributor.author
Pinto, R.
Author
dc.contributor.author
López, A.
Author
dc.contributor.author
Ortiz, S.
Author
dc.contributor.author
Muñoz San Martín, Catalina
Author
dc.contributor.author
Botto Mahan, Carezza
Author
dc.contributor.author
Solari, A.
Admission date
dc.date.accessioned
2019-10-22T03:13:58Z
Available date
dc.date.available
2019-10-22T03:13:58Z
Publication date
dc.date.issued
2019
Cita de ítem
dc.identifier.citation
Infection, Genetics and Evolution, Volumen 71,
Identifier
dc.identifier.issn
15677257
Identifier
dc.identifier.issn
15671348
Identifier
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10.1016/j.meegid.2019.04.002
Identifier
dc.identifier.uri
https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/172032
Abstract
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Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Vector survival is an important variable affecting vectorial capacity to determine parasite transmission risk. The aims of this study are to evaluate vector survival under fasting/starvation conditions of wild-caught Mepraia spinolai after feeding and fasting, the pathogenicity of T. cruzi infection, the parasite burden and seasonal variation in parasite discrete typing units (DTU). The survivorship of M. spinolai nymphs after two continuous artificial feedings was evaluated, assessing their infection with microscopic observation of fecal samples and PCR. Later, insects were fasted/starved until death. We performed qPCR analyses of parasite load in the fecal samples and dead specimens. T. cruzi genotyping was performed using conventional PCR amplicons and hybridization tests. Infection rate was higher in M. spinolai nymphs in summer and spring than in fall. Parasite burden varied from 3 to 250,000 parasites/drop. Survival rate for starved nymph stage II was lower in insects collected in the spring compared to summer and fall. TcII was the most frequent DTU. Mainly metacyclic trypomastigotes were excreted. We conclude that M. spinolai infection rate in nymphs varies among seasons, suggesting higher transmission risk in warmer seasons. However, nymphs stage II collected in spring are more sensitive to starvation compared to other seasons. TcII in single or mixed infection does not seem relevant to determine vector pathogenicity. These results of vector survivorship after fasting/starvation are important to determine the competence of M. spinolai as a vector of T. cruzi, since they excrete metacyclic trypomastigotes and the parasitism with T. cruzi seems to be poorly pathogenic to the vector under a severe fasting/starvation condition.
Survivorship of wild caught Mepraia spinolai nymphs: The effect of seasonality and Trypanosoma cruzi infection after feeding and fasting in the laboratory