Susceptibility of different triatomine species to Trypanosoma rangeli experimental infection

Abstract

Trypanosoma rangeli is a kinetoplastid protozoan parasite that has been found in the majority of Latin American countries, overlapping its distribution area with that of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. This parasite shares the same reservoirs and vectors as T. cruzi. Triatomines from genus Rhodnius are considered the most susceptible hosts to infection. In this work, we report the susceptibility of different triatomine species (Rhodnius neglectus, Panstrongylus megistus, Triatoma infestans, T. sordida, T. braziliensis, and T. vitticeps) to experimental infection by T. rangeli isolated from Didelphis albiventris in a highly endemic region for Chagas disease. An intense parasitism was evidenced in feces (56% to 81%) of the majority of the species studied on the 10th day after infection, decreasing during the period of the experiment (30 days). T. vitticeps did not present parasites in feces at any time. All triatomine species presented parasites in the hemolymph. In T. vitticeps and P. megistus, this parasitism was scarce (6.3% and 6.6%, respectively). In the other species, the parasitism was variable (62.5% to 100%). Triatomine mortality varied between 3% to 40%, increasing during the infection in all species studied. The lowest mortality was observed for T. infestans. Also, we showed that only trypomastigotes forms from salivary glands, and hemolymph were infective for mice. We conclude that all triatomine species used were susceptible to infection by T. rangeli at different levels. There was no direct correlation between intensity of parasitism and mortality.