Higher temperatures reduce the number of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites in the vector Triatoma pallidipennis

Parasites & Vectors

Ana E. Gutiérrez-Cabrera¹  Alex Córdoba-Aguilar²  Paz María Salazar-Schettino³  Margarita Cabrera-Bravo³  José Antonio de Fuentes-Vicente⁴  Berenice González-Rete⁵ 

[1] CONACYT-Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico;Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, Mexico;Departamento de Microbiología Y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico;Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Ciencias Y Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico;Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico;Departamento de Microbiología Y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico;

关键词: Triatoma pallidipennis;    Trypanosoma cruzi;    Strains;    Global warming;    Temperature;    Parasites;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13071-021-04872-6

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundRelatively little is known about how pathogens transmitted by vector insects are affected by changing temperatures analogous to those occurring in the present global warming scenario. One expectation is that, like their ectothermic vectors, an increase in temperature could reduce their fitness. Here, we have investigated the effect of high temperatures on the abundance of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites during infection in the vector Triatoma pallidipennis.MethodsWe exposed T. pallidipennis nymphs to two strains (Morelos and Chilpancingo) of T. cruzi. Once infected, the fifth-instar bugs were distributed among three different temperature groups, i.e. 20, 30, and 34 °C, and the resulting parasites were counted when the bugs reached adulthood.ResultsThe number of parasites increased linearly with time at 20 °C and, to a lesser extent, at 30 °C, especially in the Chilpancingo compared to the Morelos strain. Conversely, at 34 °C, the number of parasites of both strains decreased significantly compared to the other two temperatures.ConclusionsThese results suggest negative effects on the abundance of T. cruzi in T. pallidipennis at high temperatures. This is the first evidence of the effect of high temperatures on a pathogenic agent transmitted by an insect vector in the context of global warming. Further tests should be done to determine whether this pattern occurs with other triatomine species and T. cruzi strains.Graphical abstract

【 授权许可】

CC BY