{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]],"date-time":"2026-01-06T21:02:21Z","timestamp":1767733341316,"version":"build-2238731810"},"update-to":[{"DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0013872","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,2]],"date-time":"2026-01-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767312000000}}],"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,26]],"date-time":"2025-12-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766707200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Institut de Recherche pour le D\u00c3\u00a9veloppement","award":["JEAI ENVY, Ecology of Neglected tropical Vector-borne diseases in Yucatan, M\u00e9xico"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JEAI ENVY, Ecology of Neglected tropical Vector-borne diseases in Yucatan, M\u00e9xico"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic>Trypanosoma cruzi<\/jats:italic>\n                      , the causative agent of Chagas disease, is primarily transmitted through the infected feces of blood-sucking bugs known as triatomines. As a result, its transmission is closely linked to the feeding and defecation behaviors of these insects.\n                      <jats:italic>T. cruzi<\/jats:italic>\n                      can alter various physiological processes in its vectors, including those involved in parasite acquisition, development, and excretion. This study aimed to assess the feeding and defecation behaviors of\n                      <jats:italic>Triatoma dimidiata<\/jats:italic>\n                      sensu lato (Latreille,1811), one of the main vectors, in relation to its\n                      <jats:italic>T. cruzi<\/jats:italic>\n                      infection status.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methodology\/Principal findings<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Using both\n                      <jats:italic>T. cruzi<\/jats:italic>\n                      -infected and uninfected\n                      <jats:italic>T. dimidiata<\/jats:italic>\n                      , we measured various variables related to feeding and defecation behaviors. Notably, infected insects reached their host four times faster and began defecating twice as quickly as uninfected ones (282\u2009\u00b1\u200958\u2009s\n                      <jats:italic>vs.<\/jats:italic>\n                      1132\u2009\u00b1\u2009198\u2009s; 580\u2009\u00b1\u2009120\u2009s\n                      <jats:italic>vs.<\/jats:italic>\n                      1220\u2009\u00b1\u2009166\u2009s, respectively), and these differences were significant. Among the bugs that defecated, 89% (16\/18) of infected insects and 70% (14\/20) of uninfected insects defecated during feeding. Moreover, among the bugs that defecated, a significantly higher proportion of infected insects defecated within the first 10 minutes after the start of feeding (11\/18\u2009=\u200961%) compared to uninfected insects, in which this behavior was less frequent (5\/20\u2009=\u200925%) and occurred later. Additionally, infected insects presented a significantly greater blood meal intake and feeding rate.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions\/Significance<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Overall, these findings suggest that\n                      <jats:italic>T. cruzi<\/jats:italic>\n                      alters the feeding and defecation behaviors of\n                      <jats:italic>T. dimidiata<\/jats:italic>\n                      in a way that could enhance its transmission potential.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  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