Genetically distinct carriers of Chagas disease-causing parasite live together
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - 06:14
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Researchers have found living together the known carrier species for the Chagas disease-causing parasite Triatoma dimidiata (also known as "kissing bugs") and a cryptic species that looks the same - but is genetically distinct from - the known carrier species. The two species haven't interbred for as many as 5 million years, according to a report published March 10 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.