First Identification of Naturally Infected Paratriatoma hirsuta: A Vector for Trypanosoma cruzi and Implications for Chagas Disease Transmission
The first detection of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) in wild-caught Paratriatoma hirsuta (P. hirsuta) from military installations near the United States/Mexico border in California and Arizona is reported in the present study. As part of a Chagas disease surveillance initiative, 20 adult and 63 immature P. hirsuta were collected from 16 wood rat nests, along with sympatric Triatoma rubida (T. rubida). Initial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening revealed presumptive T. cruzi-positive samples, which were reanalyzed using a novel kinetoplast PCR assay with validated targets. Amplicons were sequenced using Sanger analysis, confirming T. cruzi infection. The presence of T. cruzi was confirmed in P. hirsuta (9%) and T. rubida (7%). The present study highlights the potential role of P. hirsuta as a secondary vector in sylvatic zoonotic T. cruzi transmission cycles in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts and how this informs Chagas disease surveillance and prevention in the region.
Authors
- Eyal Oren (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7817-3516)
- Riley E. Tedrow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9419-3031)
- Paul A. Lenhart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1365-1470)
- Alexander M. Potter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3039-623X)
- Bernardo Delgado
- Gena G. Lawrence
- Paula Stigler Granados (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8993-9879)
- Francisco Sánchez
- Mauricio Solis
- Robert Fathke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8564-6983)
- Jose Betancourt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0146-8476)
- Tolulope Morawo
- Isydra G. Lujan
- Ian Copeland
- Cassandra Kerwin
- Walter Roachell
- Amanda Cline
- Shannon McBride
- Penelope J. Quintana
- MaeJean Ramnarace
- Gerardo Pacheco
Institutions
- United States Army Medical Command (US)
- Texas State University (US)
- San Diego State University (US)
- Air Education and Training Command (US)
- United States Department of the Navy (US)
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria (US)
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Published
- 2026-08-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.26-0007
- Primary Topic
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00