Between insects and birds: molecular evidence of Bartonella henselae DNA in Rhodnius prolixus (Stål, 1859) from an insectary and Cairina moschata (Linnaeus, 1758) ducks used as triatomine blood meal source.

Bartonella henselae is the primary human pathogen species of this Gram-negative bacterial genus, associated with several clinical manifestations including cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, endocarditis, and myocarditis. This pathogen was recently detected in Triatoma sordida, a vector of Chagas disease in Brazil. Here, we investigated the presence of B. henselae DNA in Rhodnius prolixus, another triatomine vector of Trypanosoma cruzi maintained in an insectary and in ducks (Cairina moschata) used as a blood source for their colony. A total of 84 triatomines and blood samples from 10 ducks were analyzed by nested PCR targeting the ftsZ gene of B. henselae. Bacterial DNA was detected in four (4.76%) triatomines and in nine (90%) ducks. Sequencing of amplicons from three triatomines and two ducks revealed 100% identity, full query coverage, and highly significant E-values, indicating complete sequence identity to Bartonella henselae strain Houston-1. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study provides novel evidence of B. henselae DNA in R. prolixus and C. moschata. However, the vector competence of triatomines for transmitting this bacterium to humans and/or ducks remains unclear.