Molecular evidence showed 46.2% of
Trypanosoma cruzi
infection in
Mepraia spinolai
insects from North-Central Chile, which is significantly higher than previous reports of up to 26% by microscopic observation. Our results show similar infection levels among nymphal stages, ranging from 38.3 to 54.1%, indicating that younger nymphs could be as important as older ones in parasite transmission. A cautionary note must be stressed to indicate the potential role of
M. spinolai in transmitting
T. cruzi in country areas due to the high infection level detected by molecular analysis.
