INTRODUCTION:

Oral transmission of acute Chagas disease is an emerging public health concern. This study aimed to detect insect fragments in experimentally contaminated food, by comparing triatomines with other insects.

METHODS:

Food samples were experimentally contaminated with insects, processed to recover their fragments by light filth, and analyzed by microscopy and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

RESULTS:

Morphological differences between coleopteran and triatomine insects were observed in microscopic images. PCR was efficient in amplifying Triatominae DNA in the experimentally contaminated food.

CONCLUSIONS:

This methodology could be utilized by food analysts to identify possible insect contamination in food samples. (AU)