Browsing by Author "Bacigalupo, Antonella"

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    Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in Blood of the Lizard Microlophus atacamensis: Understanding the T. cruzi Cycle in a Coastal Island of the Atacama Desert
    (2025-04-26) Borcosque-Avendaño, Josefa; Quiroga, Nicol; Cianferoni, Franco; Díaz-Campusano, Gabriel; Marcos, José Luis; Botto-Mahan, Carezza; Torres-Pérez, Fernando; Bacigalupo, Antonella; Campos-Soto, Ricardo
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    Humans as blood-feeding sources in sylvatic triatomines of Chile unveiled by next-generation sequencing
    (2023-07-06) San Juan, Esteban; Araya‑Donoso, Raúl; Sierra‑Rosales, Catalina; Correa, Juana P; Quiroga, Nicol; Campos‑Soto, Ricardo; Solari, Aldo; Llewellyn, Martin; Bacigalupo, Antonella; Botto‑Mahan, Carezza
    Background Triatomines are blood-sucking insects capable of transmitting Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease in humans. Vectorial transmission entails an infected triatomine feeding on a vertebrate host, release of triatomine infective dejections, and host infection by the entry of parasites through mucous membranes, skin abrasions, or the biting site; therefore, transmission to humans is related to the triatomine–human contact. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated whether humans were detected in the diet of three sylvatic triatomine species (Mepraia parapatrica, Mepraia spinolai, and Triatoma infestans) present in the semiarid–Mediterranean ecosystem of Chile. Methods We used triatomines collected from 32 sites across 1100 km, with an overall T. cruzi infection frequency of 47.1% (N=4287 total specimens) by conventional PCR or qPCR. First, we amplifed the vertebrate cytochrome b gene (cytb) from all DNA samples obtained from triatomine intestinal contents. Then, we sequenced cytb-positive PCR products in pools of 10–20 triatomines each, grouped by site. The fltered sequences were grouped into amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) with a minimum abundance of 100 reads. ASVs were identifed by selecting the best BLASTn match against the NCBI nucleotide database. Results Overall, 16 mammal (including human), 14 bird, and seven reptile species were identifed in the diet of syl‑ vatic triatomines. Humans were part of the diet of all analyzed triatomine species, and it was detected in 19 sites representing 12.19% of the sequences. Conclusions Sylvatic triatomine species from Chile feed on a variety of vertebrate species; many of them are detected here for the frst time in their diet. Our results highlight that the sylvatic triatomine–human contact is noteworthy. Education must be enforced for local inhabitants, workers, and tourists arriving in endemic areas to avoid or minimize the risk of exposure to Chagas disease vectors.
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    Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in Desmodus rotundus (common vampire bat) and Histiotus montanus (small big-eared brown bat) from Chile
    (2021-10-21) Quiroga, Nicol; Campos Soto, Ricardo; Yánez Meza, Andrea; Rodríguez San Pedro, Annia; Allendes, Juan L.; Bacigalupo, Antonella; Botto-Mahan, Carezza; Correa, Juana P.
    The protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted by infected feces or consumption of blood-sucking triatomine insects to several mammalian orders including Chiroptera. In Chile, the distribution of several insectivorous and one hematophagous bat species overlaps with those of triatomine vectors, but the T. cruzi infection status of local chiropterans is unknown. In 2018, we live-captured bats from two protected areas in Chile to collect plagiopatagium tissue, feces and perianal swab samples, in search for T. cruzi-DNA by real time PCR assays using species-specific primers. In Pan de Azúcar island (~26◦S), we examined a roost of Desmodus rotundus (common vampire bat) and sampled tissue from 17 individuals, detecting T. cruzi-DNA in five of them. In Las Chinchillas National Reserve (~31◦S), we examined two roosts of Histiotus montanus (small big-eared brown bat), collecting feces or perianal swab samples from eight individuals, detecting T. cruzi-DNA in four of them. This is the first report of T. cruzi-DNA evidence in bat species from Chile. Both vector-borne and oral transmission are potential infection routes that can explain our results. Further investi gation is needed for a better understanding of the role of bats in the T. cruzi transmission cycle.