Abstract
Triatominae bugs are the vectors of Chagas disease, a major concern to public health especially in Latin America, where vector-borne Chagas disease has undergone resurgence due mainly to diminished triatomine control in many endemic municipalities. Although the majority of Triatominae species occurs in the Americas, species belonging to the genus Linshcosteus occur in India, and species belonging to the Triatoma rubrofasciata complex have been also identified in Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia, and in the Western Pacific. Not all of Triatominae species have been found to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, but the possibility of establishing vector transmission to areas where Chagas disease was previously non-endemic has increased with global population mobility. Additionally, the worldwide distribution of triatomines is concerning, as they are able to enter in contact and harbor other pathogens, leading us to wonder if they would have competence and capacity to transmit them to humans during the bite or after successful blood feeding, spreading other infectious diseases. In this review, we searched the literature for infectious agents transmitted to humans by Triatominae. There are reports suggesting that triatomines may be competent vectors for pathogens such as Serratia marcescens, Bartonella, and Mycobacterium leprae, and that triatomine infection with other microrganisms may interfere with triatomine-T. cruzi interactions, altering their competence and possibly their capacity to transmit Chagas disease.
Highlights
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses, and bacteria that are usually transmitted by a bloodsucking arthropod
To be a competent vector, triatomine has to acquire the pathogenic microorganism from an infected host, to allow its replication in the midgut or to spread to the hemocoel in order to enter into the salivary glands
It is a topic of concern the overlapping geographic distribution of Triatominae species and the endemicity of leprosy in some regions, as triatomines that are transitioning from wild environments to the domiciliary ones may be a potential source of M. leprae transmission to humans (Neumann Ada et al, 2016), supporting that old hypothesis that leprosy can be vector-borne transmitted through the insect feces containing the bacteria when in contact with host wound or mucosa (Kirchheimer, 1976; Benchimol and Romero Sa, 2003; Neumann Ada et al, 2016)
Summary
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses, and bacteria that are usually transmitted by a bloodsucking arthropod. T. cruzi and other pathogens infection within Triatominae colonies is due mainly to the vector blood feeding behavior.
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