Triatomines outside the Americas: A Comprehensive Dataset to the Global Surveillance of Chagas Disease Vectors

Abstract

The causative agent of Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi) is transmitted to mammals, including humans, mainly by insect vectors of the subfamily Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Also known as “kissing bugs”, the subfamily currently includes 159 species in 18 genera and five tribes. Although the majority of the species are distributed in the Americas, here we present the first comprehensive compilation of Non-American triatomine occurrences to complement the American triatomine information, representing together the most complete and integrated database available to date at a global scale. The data (396 records) corresponds to 16 species of the genera Linschosteus and Triatoma from Africa, Asia and Oceania between the years 1926 and 2022, including verified records with associated geographic coordinates, collection dates, and ecological information. Data were gathered through a systematic review of published literature and colleague-provided data, validated through expert consultation. The most important novelties refer to (i) temporal and geographical Non-American species records updates, (ii) current records of T. rubrofasciata found hundreds of kilometers inland (opposite to the historical data only in port areas), and (iii) geographical records of the two last described species of Triatoma (T. atrata and T. picta). This resource aims to support global surveillance efforts by offering evidence of potential vector presence in non-endemic vectorial transmission regions. The dataset may inform ecological niche modeling, risk assessment, and public health strategies, contributing to a broader understanding of the global distribution of vectors and to entomological surveillance implicated in Chagas disease outside the Americas.