Q. What is the vector of Chagas' disease? How is the disease transmitted?
The vector of the Chagas' disease is its intermediate host, a triatomine bug. The key species is Triatoma infestans. The Hemipteran insects, like triatiomines, have sucking mouthparts that can be used to suck organic fluids from plants or blood from animals. The vectors of the Chagas' disease are hemipterans, hematophagous that have nocturnal habits. The blood-sucking bugs turn into infected when they bite a contaminated person and the parasites then multiply within the bug gut and are eliminated with its feces. When a contaminated triatomine bites a different person it defecates near the bite site and the released protozoans can penetrate into the definitive host through mucosae or through the bite wound. Domestic and Wild mammals can also be vessels for the disease.