AUTHOR=Vieira Caroline Barreto , Praça Yanna Reis , Bentes Kaio Luís da Silva , Santiago Paula Beatriz , Silva Sofia Marcelino Martins , Silva Gabriel dos Santos , Motta Flávia Nader , Bastos Izabela Marques Dourado , de Santana Jaime Martins , de Araújo Carla Nunes
TITLE=Triatomines: Trypanosomatids, Bacteria, and Viruses Potential Vectors?
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
VOLUME=8
YEAR=2018
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2018.00405
DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2018.00405
ISSN=2235-2988
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.