Vector transmission: How it works, what transmits, where it occurs

Vector transmission remains the main mode of Chagas disease transmission. The first part of this chapter presents the current state of knowledge on the transmission mechanisms, the factors that attract bugs to their prey, how bug saliva helps feeding, and several milestones to understand how the parasite invades a wide variety of vertebrate cells. The second part examines vector species and the properties that make them efficient vectors. Then we focus on wild eclectic species that participate in new Chagas transmission scenarios, most particularly in the Amazon region. The third part discusses where transmission can occur, usually in dwellings: the vectors live in homes or transiently invade them. Several studies aiming to identify the associated factors are reviewed, but we also discuss the possible transmission outside dwellings. The last part discusses the inhabitants' perception and knowledge of vectors, showing how education of the inhabitants of endemic countries is needed to fight vector transmission.