Speaker

Sarah Hamer
Texas A&M

Abstract

Triatomine insects, also known as kissing bugs, are the vector of the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite which causes Chagas disease across the Americas. There is increasing awareness for locally acquired Chagas disease in humans, dogs, and wildlife in the southern US, where little is known about kissing bug ecology relative to Latin America. We initiated a community science program to educate the public, medical, and veterinary community about the vector and disease; in turn, we have received over 8,000 submissions of kissing bugs to fuel transmission, behavior, and other investigations in the laboratory. Highlights from these studies will be shared, in addition to epidemiological investigations of humans, dogs, and wildlife with a focus on medically-under-served regions of the US-Mexico border.