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. 2022 Sep 8:19:e00273.
doi: 10.1016/j.parepi.2022.e00273. eCollection 2022 Nov.

Tele-entomology and tele-parasitology: A citizen science-based approach for surveillance and control of Chagas disease in Venezuela

Lourdes A Delgado-Noguera  1   2 , Carlos E Hernández-Pereira  1   2 , Juan David Ramírez  3   4 , Carolina Hernández  3 , Natalia Velasquez-Ortíz  3 , José Clavijo  5 , Jose Manuel Ayala  6 , David Forero-Peña  1 , Marilianna Marquez  1   2 , Maria J Suarez  1   2 , Luis Traviezo-Valles  2   7 , Maria Alejandra Escalona  1   2 , Luis Perez-Garcia  1   2 , Isis Mejias Carpio  1   8   9 , Emilia M Sordillo  4 , Maria E Grillet  10 , Martin S Llewellyn  11 , Juan C Gabaldón  1   12 , Alberto E Paniz Mondolfi  1   4   11
Affiliations

Tele-entomology and tele-parasitology: A citizen science-based approach for surveillance and control of Chagas disease in Venezuela

Lourdes A Delgado-Noguera et al. Parasite Epidemiol Control. .

Abstract

Chagas Disease (CD), a chronic infection caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, is a Neglected Tropical Disease endemic to Latin America. With a re-emergence in Venezuela during the past two decades, the spread of CD has proved susceptible to, and inhibitable by a digital, real-time surveillance system effectuated by Citizen Scientists in communities throughout the country. The #TraeTuChipo (#BringYourKissingBug) campaign implemented in January 2020, has served as such a strategy counting on community engagement to define the current ecological distribution of CD vectors despite the absence of a functional national surveillance program. This pilot campaign collected data through online surveys, social media platforms, and/or telephone text messages. A total of 79 triatomine bugs were reported from eighteen Venezuelan states; 67 bugs were identified as Panstrongylus geniculatus, 1 as Rhodnius pictipes, 1 as Triatoma dimidiata, and 10 as Triatoma maculata. We analyzed 8 triatomine feces samples spotted from 4 Panstrongylus geniculatus which were confirmed positive by qPCR for T. cruzi . Further molecular characterization of discrete typing units (DTUs), revealed that all samples contained TcI, the most highly diverse and broadly distributed strain of T. cruzi. Moreover, analysis of the mitochondrial 12S gene revealed Myotis keaysi, Homo sapiens, and Gallus gallus as the main triatomine feeding sources. This study highlights a novel Citizen Science approach which may help improve the surveillance systems for CD in endemic countries.

Keywords: Chagas; Citizen science; GIS; Telemedicine; Vector; Venezuela.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Real-Time Reports workflow between researchers and Citizen Scientists (CS).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Triatomines and Non-triatomines collected by Citizen Scientists (CS) between 2020 and 2021. (A) Panstrongylus geniculatus, reported from Caurimare, Distrito Capital, Venezuela. (B) Rhodnius pictipes reported from Santa Elena de Uairén, Bolivar state, Venezuela. (C) Triatoma maculata, reported from Buena vista, Lara State, Venezuela. (D) Non-triatomine identified as Spartocera spp. (E) Non-Triatomine identified as Coreidae spp (F) Non-triatomine identified as Nezara viridula (Chinche verde).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
A) Geographical distribution of the Triatomines and non-triatomine bugs collected by Citizen Scientist in Venezuela between 2020 and 2021. In a spectrum of a light red (0–5%) to dark red (>50%) available seroprevalence of Chagas Disease (CD) is depicted. B) Geographical distribution of the triatomines bugs positive by qPCR for T. cruzi. The map was generated using QGIS software. (https://www.qgis.org/es/site/). (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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