Which insect is associated with the transmission of Chagas disease?

Which insect is associated with the transmission of Chagas disease?

• A. Triatomine bug
• B. Aedes mosquito
• C. Sandfly
• D. Tsetse fly

Answer: (A)

Chagas disease is transmitted by triatomine bugs, often called kissing bugs. These insects bite people at night and defecate near the site. The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is shed in the bug’s feces, and transmission occurs when the person scratches the bite area or rubs the feces into a mucous membrane or a wound, allowing the parasite to enter the body. This indirect fecal transmission is a hallmark of Chagas. Other insects listed are vectors for different diseases: Aedes mosquitoes spread dengue, Zika, and chikungunya; sandflies transmit Leishmania; Tsetse flies carry Trypanosoma brucei causing African sleeping sickness. So the insect linked to Chagas disease is the triatomine bug.

Chagas disease is transmitted by triatomine bugs, often called kissing bugs. These insects bite people at night and defecate near the site. The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is shed in the bug’s feces, and transmission occurs when the person scratches the bite area or rubs the feces into a mucous membrane or a wound, allowing the parasite to enter the body. This indirect fecal transmission is a hallmark of Chagas.

Other insects listed are vectors for different diseases: Aedes mosquitoes spread dengue, Zika, and chikungunya; sandflies transmit Leishmania; Tsetse flies carry Trypanosoma brucei causing African sleeping sickness. So the insect linked to Chagas disease is the triatomine bug.