Individual work in Parasitology

Triatoma infestans Triatoma brasiliensis triatoma vitticeps

Hemanathan Praemanathan Group 27 Professor Irina Anatoeierna Mandrik

 Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Arthropoda

Class : Insecta
Order : Hemiptera Suborder : Heteroptera

 Heteroptera is a group of about 40,000 species

of insects in the Hemiptera. Sometimes called "true bugs", that name more commonly refers to Hemiptera as a whole, and "typical bugs" might be used as a more unequivocal alternative since among the Hemiptera the heteropterans are most consistently and universally termed "bugs". "Heteroptera" is Greek for "different wings"

 Triatoma infestans, commonly called vinchuca in

Argentina, barbeiro in Brazil and also known as "kissing bug" in English, is a blood-sucking bug (like all the members of its subfamily Triatominae) and the most important vector of Trypanosoma cruzi which can lead to Chagas disease. It is widespread in the Southern Cone countries of South America that is, in Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Brazil and Peru. In all these countries T. infestansis almost an exclusively domestic species, except in Bolivia where sylvatic forms have been recorded in rock piles in association with wild guinea pigs.

 Triatoma is a genus of assassin bug in the

subfamily Triatominae (kissing bugs.) The members of Triatoma (like all members of Triatominae) are blood-sucking insects that can transmit serious diseases, such as Chagas disease. Triatoma Infestants , Triatoma Brasiliensis and Triatoma Vitticeps share the same life cycle and characters.

 Triatoma infestans is a nocturnal predator

that blood feeds on mammals while they are asleep. It is about one inch (2.5 cm) long, has two pairs of long, bent legs attached to an oval-shaped abdomen. A third pair of legs act like arms that are attached to the trapezoidal thorax near its protruding bulbous eyes. A proboscis (slender, needle-like projection) extends from the anterior head that is used to pierce skin and suck blood - a vampire-bug

 T. Infestans is yellow-orange with black marking

on top of its abdomen. Males are larger than females. Their wings are thin, transparent, and cover the top of the abdomen. Only adults have wings, which are inefficient for flying but effective for gliding and mounting their mate during sex. Triatomines prefer nesting in roofs and ceilings, where they glide down upon sleeping humans. They are directed towards humans and other warm-blooded creatures by radar-like heat sensors in their antennas. Triatomines glide over 100 meters assisted by air currents. Gliding enables triatomines to travel throughout communities, colonizing house after house.

 T. infestans is an instinctual blood sucker. It needs blood meals

to pass through five instar stages to become an adult when it grows wings, copulates, and reproduces. Blood provides T. infestans with a protein- and lipid-rich diet. Heat sensors and pheromones (hormones deposited upon humans by previous predators) direct T. infestans to sleeping people. Detecting a food source, they probe the warm skin for underlying fluids with their proboscis and sense adenosine triphosphate, ATP, and other engorgement indicators. Coated with an anesthetic and anticoagulant, the proboscis pierces the skin and leisurely sucks up to 300 mg in sometimes 30 minutes. T. infestans is a glutton. After feeding, the abdomen of the engorged bug triggers peristalsis, and vinchucas defecate and deposit T. cruzi in the feces at the site of the wound. T. infestans exchange feces and parasites for blood. It ingests up to seven times its weight and has difficulty crawling away so slowly that awakened sleepers catch it - smashing them and leaving a brown splotch, a telltale sign to wary guests not to sleep there

 Female triatomines develop into the adult stage before

males do. After males emerge as adults, they inseminate females. Females are inseminated shortly after molting and can produce viable eggs for one year after copulation. In 10 to 20 days, females lay eggs. Females lay from 80 to 100 eggs, each ivory colored and half the size of a grain of rice. Adult T. infestans live an average of 8 to 16 months Their life span in Bolivia is 3 years and they lay an average of 240 eggs. Their eggs are valued by peasants who interpret them as signs of fertility. Girls put vinchuca eggs in tiny baskets and pretend that they are chicken eggs. Educational programs are changing peasants' perception of vinchucas eggs. Triatomines readily spread from the countryside to cities by transport of vinchuca eggs unknowingly carried in cargo.

 Triatomines pass through 5 instar or growth

stages, from birth and to adulthood. At all stages, triatomines are fast crawlers. Nymph stages take anywhere from 4 to 24 months, depending upon the availability of blood meals - needed to pass on to the next stage. During these stages they are able to feed up to 12 times their body weight. Fifth-stage instars are particularly dependent on blood meals to transform into adults, characterized by developing wings. Because flying takes a lot of energy, T. infestans is efficient, developing them only to reproduce and to colonize other areas. Triatomines usually take their blood meals after 7 days, but are able to live for months without feeding.

 Vinchucas are not born with T. cruzi. As they feed

throughout their early nymph stages, they become more susceptible to picking up T. cruzi, and incidents of infected bugs rise with age. Many become infected by the third instar stage. The infection rate of humans determines the infection rate of vinchucas. The higher the infection rate of a host population, such as in a house, the higher the infection rate is for T. infestans. Instars are small and superb crawlers. They hide in mattresses and bus seats where they can bite humans. They also crawl under mosquito netting and into sleeping bags, making it difficult to stop them.

 Hematophagous, feeding on blood from

tetrapods. Most common hosts are mammalian but avian, reptilian and amphibian hosts are recorded. The most common wild hosts are wood rats (Neotoma) but other common ones include armadillos, opossums and raccoons (possibly also skunks); synanthropic species may feed on livestock (horses, cattle, chickens), pets and humans

 T. infestans are nocturnal and

photosensitive. They hide during the day, coming out to feed and reproduce at night. Cracks of walls, mattresses, and clothing provides dark safety until nighttime, when they scurry about in search for meals

 Triatoma infestans causes Chagas disease. The human disease occurs in

two stages: an acute stage, which occurs shortly after an initial infection, and a chronic stage that develops over many years. The acute phase lasts for the first few weeks or months of infection. It usually occurs unnoticed because it is symptom-free or exhibits only mild symptoms that are not unique to Chagas disease. These can include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting. The signs on physical examination can include mild enlargement of the liver or spleen, swollen glands, and local swelling (a chagoma) where the parasite entered the body. The most recognized marker of acute Chagas disease is called Romaa's sign, which includes swelling of the eyelids on the side of the face near the bite wound or where the bug feces were deposited or accidentally rubbed into the eye. Rarely, young children, or adults may die from the acute disease due to severe inflammation/infection of the heart muscle (myocarditis) or brain (meningoencephalitis).The acute phase also can be severe in people with weakened immune systems

 If symptoms develop during the acute phase, they

usually resolve spontaneously within three to eight weeks in approximately 90% of individuals. Although the symptoms resolve, even with treatment the infection persists and enters a chronic phase. Of individuals with chronic Chagas disease, 6080% will never develop symptoms (called indeterminate chronic Chagas disease), while the remaining 2040% will develop life-threatening heart and/or digestive disorders during their lifetime (called determinate chronic Chagas disease). In 10% of individuals, the disease progresses directly from the acute form to a symptomatic clinical form of chronic Chagas disease

 Generally nidicolous, occurring most often in

rodent nests but also in bird nests, logs and man-made structures such as barns, coops, houses; some Neotropical spp. also in caves
Season -All year, but more frequently noticed in spring and fall when dispersing and coming to lights.

 Physical examination can confirm the symptoms. Signs may

include: Cardiomyopathy Enlarged liver and spleen Enlarged lymph nodes Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)

Tests include: Blood culture Chest x-ray Echocardiogram Electrocardiogram (ECG) Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) Peripheral blood smear

 The acute phase and reactivated Chagas disease should be

treated. Infants born with the infection should also be treated. Treating the chronic phase is recommended for both children and adults. Adult patients should talk to their doctor about whether to treat chronic Chagas disease. Two drugs are used to treat this infection: benznidazole and nifurtimox. Both drugs often have side effects. The side effects may be worse in older people. Side effects may include: Headaches and dizziness Loss of appetite and weight loss Neuropathy Problems sleeping Skin rashes