American tripanosomiasis: a study on the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma cruzi-like organisms in wild rodents in San Luis province, Argentina

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical

Ana María Brigada²  Roberto Doña¹  Enrique Caviedes-vidal²  Edgardo Moretti¹  Beatriz Basso¹ 

[1],Universidad Nacional de San Luis Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia Departamento de Bioquímica y Ciencias BiológicasSan Luis,Argentina

关键词: American trypanosomiasis;    Trypanosoma cruzi;    Reservoirs;    Wild rodents;    Chagas disease;    Tripanosomiasis americana;    Tripanosoma cruzi;    Reservatório;    Roedores silvestres;    Doença de Chagas;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0037-86822010000300007

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

INTRODUCTION: Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Wild and perianthropic mammals maintain the infection/transmission cycle, both in their natural habitat and in the peridomestic area. The aim of this paper was to present the results from a study on wild rodents in the central and northern regions of San Luis province, Argentina, in order to evaluate the prevalence of this infection. METHODS: Sherman traps were set up in capture areas located between latitudes 32º and 33º S, and longitudes 65º and 66º W. The captured rodents were taxonomically identified and hemoflagellates were isolated. Morphological, biometric and molecular studies and in vitro cultures were performed. Infection of laboratory animals and histological examination of the cardiac muscle and inoculation area were also carried out. Parasites were detected in circulating blood in Calomys musculinus, Graomys griseoflavus, Phyllotis darwini and Akodon molinae. The parasites were identified using biological criteria. Molecular PCR studies were performed on some isolates, which confirmed the characterization of these hemoflagellates as Trypanosoma cruzi. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Forty-four percent of the 25 isolates were identified as Trypanosoma cruzi, and the remaining 56% as Trypanosoma cruzi-like. These findings provide evidence that wild rats infected with Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma cruzi-like organisms are important in areas of low endemicity.

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