Trypanosoma cruzi Parasite Burdens of Several Triatomine Species in Colombia

Velásquez-Ortiz, Natalia; Hernández, Carolina; Cantillo-Barraza, Omar; Ballesteros, Nathalia; Cruz-Saavedra, Lissa; Herrera, Giovanny; Buitrago, Luz Stella; Soto, Hugo; Medina, Manuel; Palacio, Jatney; González, Marina Stella; Cuervo, Andrés M.; Vallejo, Gustavo Adolfo Calderón; Dueñas, Liliana Zuleta; Urbano, Plutarco; Muñoz, Marina; Ramírez, Juan David

doi:10.3390/tropicalmed7120445

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…cruzi , with Triatoma spp., Rhodnius spp., and Panstrongylus spp. most associated with transmission to people [ 46 ]. For a triatomine species to be efficient for vector-borne transmission of T .…”

Section: Why Does Oral Infection Results In More Severe Symptoms?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of estimating the burden of disease from foodborne transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi

Robertson,

Havelaar,

Keddy

et al. 2024

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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Chagas disease (ChD), caused by infection with the flagellated protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi, has a complicated transmission cycle with many infection routes. These include vector-borne (via the triatomine (reduviid bug) vector defecating into a skin abrasion, usually following a blood meal), transplacental transmission, blood transfusion, organ transplant, laboratory accident, and foodborne transmission. Foodborne transmission may occur due to ingestion of meat or blood from infected animals or from ingestion of other foods (often fruit juice) contaminated by infected vectors or secretions from reservoir hosts. Despite the high disease burden associated with ChD, it was omitted from the original World Health Organization estimates of foodborne disease burden that were published in 2015. As these estimates are currently being updated, this review presents arguments for including ChD in new estimates of the global burden of foodborne disease. Preliminary calculations suggest a burden of at least 137,000 Disability Adjusted Life Years, but this does not take into account the greater symptom severity associated with foodborne transmission. Thus, we also provide information regarding the greater health burden in endemic areas associated with foodborne infection compared with vector-borne infection, with higher mortality and more severe symptoms. We therefore suggest that it is insufficient to use source attribution alone to determine the foodborne proportion of current burden estimates, as this may underestimate the higher disability and mortality associated with the foodborne infection route.

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Section: Why Does Oral Infection Results In More Severe Symptoms?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of estimating the burden of disease from foodborne transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi

Robertson,

Havelaar,

Keddy

et al. 2024

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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“…Peridomestic human exposure to triatomine vectors has been increasing in certain regions of Colombia and throughout other regions of Latin America and the United States [ 9 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 ]. Invasion from adult insects has been associated with confirmed or suspected cases of oral Chagas disease [ 5 , 14 ].…”

Section: Peridomestic Triatomines Associated With Oral T Cr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During warm weather, both species tend to invade human dwellings. Moreover, recent findings have revealed that both species carry high loads of T. cruzi in their hindguts [ 97 , 100 ]. These simultaneous biological characteristics could elucidate the significance of these species in facilitating oral transmission in Colombia.…”

Section: Peridomestic Triatomines Associated With Oral T Cr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Oral Chagas Disease in Colombia—Confirmed and Suspected Routes of Transmission

Beatty,

Arango-Ferreira,

Gual-Gonzalez

et al. 2024

TropicalMed

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Chagas disease (CD) remains endemic throughout many regions of Colombia despite implementing decades of vector control strategies in several departments. Some regions have had a significant decrease in vectorial transmission, but the oral ingestion of Trypanosoma cruzi through consumption of contaminated food and drink products is increasingly described. This form of transmission has important public health relevance in Colombia due to an increase in reported acute CD cases and clinical manifestations that often lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Oral CD in Colombia has been associated with the consumption of contaminated fruit juices, such as palm wine, sugar cane, or tangerine juice and water for consumption, or contaminated surfaces where food has been prepared. Another interesting route of oral transmission includes ingestion of unbeknownst infected armadillos’ blood, which is related to a traditional medicine practice in Colombia. Some earlier reports have also implemented consumption of infected bush meat as a source, but this is still being debated. Within the Amazon Basin, oral transmission is now considered the principal cause of acute CD in these regions. Furthermore, new cases of acute CD are now being seen in departments where CD has not been documented, and triatomine vectors are not naturally found, thus raising suspicion for oral transmission. The oral CD could also be considered a food-borne zoonosis, and odoriferous didelphid secretions have been implemented in contaminating the human dwelling environment, increasing the risk of consumption of infectious metacyclic trypomastigotes. In this article, we will discuss the complex transmission dynamics of oral CD in Colombia and further examine the unique clinical manifestations of this route of infection. New insights into the oral transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi are being discovered in Colombia, which can help bring increased awareness and a better understanding of this neglected tropical disease to reduce the burden of CD throughout Latin America.

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“…This Special Issue explores the vector’s contribution to disease spread. Velásquez-Ortiz and co-workers [ 11 ] detected high parasite loads in triatomines belonging to 10 species in different regions in Colombia, including species whose role as vectors is still unknown. The results pointed to the possible role of secondary species in T. cruzi transmission and the need to improve vector control programs in the country.…”

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confidence: 99%