Prevalence and Diversity of in Triatomine Vectors and Their Blood Meal Sources from South Central Texas, USA.

The prevalence of was assessed in 117 triatomine insects from central Texas. The PCR-based results revealed in 59% of the insects (62 adults and eight nymphs), with overall prevalences of of 0% (0/9), 64% (11/17), 58% (10/17), 73% (30/41), and 57% (19/33) for the Bastrop, Caldwell, Gonzales, Guadalupe, and Hays counties, respectively. Analyses of 18S rRNA fragments confirmed in 81% of these samples. Vectors were identified as (35% of which 65% were positive for ), (21%, 43% positive), and (0.3%, 100% positive). Food sources were recovered from 29% of the insects. Raccoons were 53% of the blood meals (83% positive for ), while the remainder came from a variety of sources, including humans (33% positive), house geckos, Eastern woodrats, plain-bellied water snakes (50% positive), hispid cotton rats (0% positive), chickens (100% positive); Asian forest turtles, bison, and pigs (0% positive). The serendipitous detection of blood meal sources at known minimum distances from the collection of the vector insect enabled us to provide several instances where the insect foraging distance was greater than 400 m. These vector foraging distances are novel information that can assist in our understanding of the landscape dynamics for the spread of the pathogen.