Protein mass spectrometry detects multiple bloodmeals for enhanced Chagas disease vector ecology

Abstract

Ecohealth-based approaches have been recognized as a sustainable method of Chagas disease control. Bloodmeal data and vector prevalence of various hosts fosters an understanding of local vector ecology and behavior. This detailed paper provides validation of the ability to detect multiple bloodmeals using synthetic hemoglobin reference peptides (SRPs) that differ among the previously reported most common bloodmeals. The study shows the superior ability of hemoglobin peptide-based LC-MS/MS to detect and identify Chagas disease vector bloodmeal sources (of field-collected Triatomine vectors from Guatemala), compared to classical DNA-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR).