Two words of interest. Triatóminos and Chagas.

Question

Más del 40% de los triatóminos recolectados por los investigadores en Tucson son portadores de un parásito que puede causar una enfermedad que mata a decenas de miles de personas por año en Centro y Sudamérica

El número de insectos que portan el parásito unicelular causante de la enfermedad de Chagas es muy superior en la ciudad del sur de Arizona (above from an article in Yahoo Noticias.)

I couldn't locate "triatóminos" or chagas in the dictionary. Can anybody help with this?

More than 40% of the triatóminos collected by investigators en Tuscon are carriers of a parisite that can cause a sickness that kills tens of thousands of people annually in Central and South America.

The number of insects that carry the one-celled parasite, the cause of the sickness, "chagas," is very high in this City of southern Arizona

Answer 1

Chagas is a parasitic disease, here is a link text

Triatominae are insects that are vectors for the disease: here

I think you can get Spanish versions of each link by clicking on español on the left side in wikipedia.

Answer 2

Triatoma is a genus of the subfamily Triatominae. The members of Triatoma (like all members of Triatominae) are blood-sucking bugs that can transmit serious diseases, such as Chagas disease.

very good! - juluque, FEB 11, 2010

Answer 3

Ok chagas is a disease called in spanish: El mal de chagas, O Enfermedad de Changas and it is called this way because the virus was first discovered by Brazilian Doctor, Carlos Chagas. The virus that cause this decease is transmitted by an insect that live in the roof and walls of adobe homes specially in South America. The insect is called Vinchuca or also known as Triatoma Infestant (scientific name) so I guess Los triatonimos is the insect family of a triatoma or most commonly know as Vinchuca. The virus that cause the decease of Chagas is called: Trypanosoma cruzi

do you know what kind of an insect a triatoma is? - nizhoni1, FEB 11, 2010

No, but there is a picture above, I know them becuase i saw them in Argentina, they look close to a cockroach. My mother has the desease. - juluque, FEB 11, 2010

Thank you juluque, muy amable! - 002262dd, FEB 11, 2010

Answer 4

Chagas Disease Dredging this from a parasitology course taken in 1980.You can probably google that and find something.Trypanosomiasis