First report of Rhodnius montenegrensis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) infection by Trypanosoma rangeli

• Main Authors: Dionatas Ulises de Oliveira Meneguetti, Evanildo Bezerra Soares, Marta Campaner, Luis Marcelo Aranha Camargo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2014-06-01
• Series: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Subjects: Triatominae; Trypanosoma rangeli; Rhodnius montenegrensis; Western Amazon
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822014000300374&lng=en&tlng=en

Introduction: This study reports for the first time the infection of Rhodnius montenegrensis by Trypanosoma rangeli. Methods: The triatomines were manually collected in Attalea speciosa in the municipality of Buritis, Rondônia. The identification of the trypanosomatid species was confirmed by multiplex PCR. Results: All of the collected triatomines were R. montenegrensis. The analysis confirmed that all of the adults were infected with the epimastigote form of T. rangeli. Conclusions: This report of a new vector of T. rangeli raises a warning for the State of Rondônia because the simultaneous presence of T. rangeli with T. cruzi in the same geographic region enables the occurrence of mixed infections in hosts and vectors, which complicates the differential diagnosis.