Panstrongylus geniculatus
| Panstrogylus geniculatus | |
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| Species: | P. geniculatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Panstrongylus geniculatus (Latreille, 1811)
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Panstrogylus geniculatus is a blood-sucking sylvatic insect noted as a putative vector of minor importance in the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi to humans; a parasite, which causes Chagas disease. The species is described as sylvatic; subsisting primarily in humid forests, and is also known to inhabit vertebrate nesting places such as that of the armadillo (dasypus novemcinctus or dasypus)[1], and is also involved in enzootic transmission of T. cruzi to those species. It has wide distribution throughout 16 Latin American countries[2].
There have been few scientific studies of this particular species because of the low number of collected specimens and difficulties in rearing and maintaining populations in the laboratory. However, currently P. geniculatus is receiving attention as a potential vector of Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) due to reports of this species invading the domestic and peridomestic habitats over a vast area: Venezuela,[3] Colombia,[4] Brazil,[5] Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina.
P. geniculatus is apparently in the process of domiciliation using the same strategies as highly domesticated species like Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus. This is also the case for other sylvatic triatomine species (Triatominae) that are experiencing similar ecological pressures originated by human disruption of the natural habitat.
Prevalence in Venezuela
In a 2005 study conducted by the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Venezuela, used Panstrongylus specimens collected from Caracas City and the neighboring areas of Miranda and Vargas Sates. Through the use of a dot-ELISA test and other techniques to determine the presence of trypanosome cruzi, it was found through the examination of feces that 67 of the 88 (76.1%) specimens collected were carrying the parasite and that 53 (60.2%) of those reacted positively to human antiserum.[6]
References
- ^ Miles MA, de Souza AA, Póvoa M (1981). "Chagas' disease in the Amazon basin III. Ecotopes of ten triatomine bug species (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from the vicinity of Belém, Pará State, Brazil". J Med Entomol. 18 (4): 266–78.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Dujardin J.P., Schofield C.J., Panzera F. (2002). "Los vectores de la Enfermedad de Chagas". Interciencia. 8 (6): 348–95.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Feliciangeli MD, Carrasco H, Patterson JS, Suarez B, Martinez C, Medina M (2004). "Mixed domestic infestation by Rhodnius prolixus Stal, 1859 and Panstrongylus geniculatus Latreille, 1811, vector incrimination, and seroprevalence for Trypanosoma cruzi among inhabitants in El Guamito, Lara State, Venezuela" (PDF). Am J Trop Med Hyg. 71 (4): 501–5. PMID 15516649.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Wolff M, Castillo D (2000). "Evidencias de domesticación y aspectos biológicos de Panstrogylus geniculatus (Latreille, 1811) (Hemiptera: Rediviidae)". Acta Entomol Chil. 24: 77–83.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - ^ Valente VC, Valente SA, Noireau F, Carrasco HJ Miles MA (1998). "Chagas disease in the Amazon Basin: association of Panstrongylus geniculatus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) with domestic pigs" (PDF). J Med Entomol. 35 (2): 99–103.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Hernan J. Carrascoa, Annhymariet Torrellas, Carlos Garcıa,
Maikell Segovia, M.Dora Feliciangeli (2005). "Risk of Trypanosoma cruzi I (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) transmission by Panstrongylus geniculatus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Caracas (Metropolitan District) and neighboring States, Venezuela". International Journal for Parasitology. 35 (1): 1379–1384.
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