Ligero-López Jorge, Bargues María Dolores, Artigas Patricio, Colangeli Giulia, Peiró-Codina Fabiola, Ducons-Márquez María, López-Alonso Beatriz, Goñi Pilar, Beltrán-Rosel Antonio
Clinical Microbiology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain.
Department of Microbiology, Pediatrics, Radiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
Parasite Epidemiol Control. 2025 Apr 25;29:e00426. doi: 10.1016/j.parepi.2025.e00426. eCollection 2025 May.
Chagas disease is a significant public health concern in the Americas, transmitted primarily by vectors of the Triatominae subfamily. While Europe, particularly Spain, is free from endemic vectors, the potential for misidentification of non-hematophagous insects as Chagas vectors exists, leading to unnecessary alarm. We present the case of a 31-year-old pregnant Venezuelan woman residing in Spain, who sought medical attention after being bitten by an arthropod she identified as . The patient's awareness of Chagas disease in her country of origin heightened her concern about vertical transmission of to her fetus. However, serological testing for antibodies was negative. The insect was initially misidentified as but was later confirmed through molecular analysis to be spp., a non-hematophagous reduviid predator. The 18S rRNA gene sequence revealed a 99.37 % similarity to spp., ruling out any vectorial capacity for Chagas disease. This case underscores the importance of accurate arthropod identification, especially in non-endemic regions, to prevent misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment. From a public health perspective, the introduction of a Chagas disease vector into Spain would represent a serious threat, necessitating prompt identification and containment measures. Our findings highlight the challenges posed by invasive species and the need for vigilance in regions where Chagas disease is not endemic. Proper identification of suspected vectors is crucial to ensure appropriate clinical and public health responses, preventing unwarranted anxiety and ensuring accurate disease surveillance.
恰加斯病是美洲一个重大的公共卫生问题，主要通过锥蝽亚科的病媒传播。虽然欧洲，尤其是西班牙没有本地病媒，但存在将非吸血昆虫误鉴定为恰加斯病病媒的可能性，从而导致不必要的恐慌。我们报告一例居住在西班牙的31岁委内瑞拉孕妇的病例，她被一只她认定为[昆虫名称未给出]的节肢动物叮咬后寻求医疗救助。患者对其原籍国恰加斯病的了解加剧了她对该病垂直传播给胎儿的担忧。然而，针对[疾病名称未给出]抗体的血清学检测呈阴性。这只昆虫最初被误鉴定为[昆虫名称未给出]，但后来通过分子分析确认为[昆虫名称未给出]属，一种非吸血的猎蝽。18S rRNA基因序列显示与[昆虫名称未给出]属有99.37%的相似性，排除了其传播恰加斯病的任何病媒能力。该病例强调了准确鉴定节肢动物的重要性，尤其是在非流行地区，以防止误诊和不必要的治疗。从公共卫生角度来看，将恰加斯病病媒引入西班牙将构成严重威胁，需要迅速采取鉴定和控制措施。我们的发现凸显了入侵物种带来的挑战以及在恰加斯病非流行地区保持警惕的必要性。正确鉴定疑似病媒对于确保适当的临床和公共卫生应对至关重要，可防止不必要的焦虑并确保准确的疾病监测。
