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Cannibalism and Coprophagy Are Modes of Transmission of Blastocrithidia triatomae (Trypanosomatidae) between Triatomines
Author(s) -
SCHAUB GUNTER A.,
BÖKER CORNELIA A.,
JENSEN CORD,
REDUTH DAGMAR
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1989.tb01067.x
Subject(s) - triatoma infestans , biology , feces , cannibalism , population , xenodiagnosis , transmission (telecommunications) , transovarial transmission , zoology , veterinary medicine , ecology , trypanosoma cruzi , parasite hosting , larva , medicine , demography , sociology , world wide web , computer science , electrical engineering , engineering
Transovarial transmission was not detectable among Blastocrithidia triatomae‐ infected Triatoma infestans . Rather, B. triatomae was transmitted directiy between triatomines by cannibalism and coprophagy. Cannibalism conditions that excluded coprophagy always resulted in an infection of Dipetalogaster maxima . The efficiency of transmission was not influenced by the blood source—mice or chickens—fed to the infected donor bugs although chicken blood lyses the epimastigotes of the stomach population. Triatoma infestans was infected by coprophagy only if fed, not if unfed. Blastocrithidia triatomae in dry feces was taken up only if the feces were redissolved in fresh feces. Infections also appeared in groups of bugs fed on chickens previously used for feeding infected bugs.