An infection with Chagas disease is only possible in Latin America since the insect species that spread the disease only occur there. Scientists at Goethe University and the Senckenberg Society for Natural Research have now used ecological niche models to calculate the extent to which habitats outside of the Americas may also be suitable for the bugs. The result: climatically suitable conditions can be found in southern Europe for two kissing bug species; along the coasts of Africa and Southeast Asia the conditions are suitable for yet another species. The Frankfurt scientists therefore call for careful monitoring of the current distribution of triatomine bugs.
The acute phase of the tropical Chagas disease (American Trypanosomiasis) is usually symptom-free: only in every third case does the infecting parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) cause any symptoms at all, and these are often unspecific, such as fever, hives and swollen lymph glands. But the parasites remain in the body, and many years later chronic Chagas disease can become life-threatening with pathological enlargement of the heart and progressive paralysis of the gastrointestinal tract. There is no vaccine for Chagas disease. The WHO estimates that 6 to 7 million people are infected worldwide, with the majority living in Latin America (about 4.6 million), followed by the USA with more than 300,000 and Europe with approximately 80,000 infected people.
Chagas parasites are transmitted by predatory blood-sucking bugs that ingest the pathogen along with the blood. After a development period in the intestinal tract of the bugs, the parasites are shed in the bug’s faeces. The highly infectious faeces are unintentionally rubbed into the wound by the extreme itching caused by the bug bite. Oral transmission by eating food contaminated with triatomine bug faeces is also possible.
Researchers led by the Frankfurt parasitologists and infection biologists Fanny Eberhard and Professor Sven Klimpel have used niche models to investigate which climatic conditions in the world are suitable for Latin American kissing bugs. In particular, temperature and precipitation patterns were incorporated into the calculations on the climatic suitability of a region. The researchers were able to show that currently in addition to Latin America, Central Africa and Southeast Asia also have suitable habitats for triatomines. Two of the triatomine species, Triatoma sordida and Triatoma infestans, are now finding suitable habitats in temperate regions of southern Europe such as Portugal, Spain, France and Italy. Both triatomine species frequently transmit the dangerous parasites in Latin America and can be found inside or near houses and stables, where they get their nightly blood meals preferably from dogs, chickens and humans.
Another triatomine species, Triatoma rubrofasciata, has already been detected outside Latin America. The model calculations by the Frankfurt scientists identify suitable habitats along large areas of the African and Southeast Asian coasts.
Professor Sven Kimpel explains: “There are people living in Europe who were infected with Chagas in Latin America and are unknowingly carriers of Trypanosoma cruzi. However, the parasite can currently only be transmitted to other people through untested blood preservations or by a mother to her unborn child. Otherwise, Trypanosoma cruzi requires triatomine bugs as intermediate hosts. And these bugs are increasingly finding suitable climatic conditions outside Latin America. Based on our data, monitoring programmes on the distribution and spreading of triatomine bugs would therefore be feasible. Mandatory reporting of Chagas disease cases could also be helpful.”
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Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasite and it is not being spread by the triatomine bug.Not all of these triatomine bugs are infected with the T.cruzi parasite and a human cannot be infected by a bite from the bug itself.The feces from the bug must enter into the bite wound or it is orally ingested mostly from contaminated food.The bugs are actually being infected by feeding on people or any other infected mammal.It is so incompetent that I cannot believe it!The triatomine bug is indigenous to parts of the SW but the T.cruzi parasite is NOT so they are playing legal games and trying to associated them both together
However, in recent years we have observed a significant increase in the oral transmission of the disease, associated mainly with the consumption of drinks made from fruit or other vegetables contaminated with triatomine faeces or urine and anal secretions from infected mammals. After a latency period of 3–22 days after ingestion, the oral infection is characterized by more severe manifestations than those associated with vectorial transmission: prolonged fever, acute myocarditis with heart failure and, in some cases, meningoencephalitis. Mortality can reach up to 33% of those infected.
I have some kind of well many different species of mites and parasites i need help to identify them on what they are i have a dr appointment tomorrow but the drs where i live are stupid and have been shuffling me around and its been months and these things come out of my body when i scrub my legs arms ect and some are under my skin you can see the little black dots everywhere my body is infested with them and i dont know what other medications are out there i already took ivermestin 3 times and it didnt work help
I have a infestation of parasites and mites my cat pooped out this thing that was 2 separate parts but attached at the bottom top part slumps over like a snake head noodle and green the bottom brown like a toad body and brown the double in size and appearance and positions and now top is brown and bottom green they switched colors between them and they both all of a sudden gad eyes and i watched this thing whatever it was change from the start to the end of its life because of no host and im going to say it was the most craziest and traumatizing thing i ever seen but fascinated by what i just caught on camera for each change send me a enail so i can send pics oh yea thats when all the other little evil minions started showing up and they’re all different from each other to i have hundreds of pics