Didelphis marsupialis, an Important Reservoir of Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi and Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi in Colombia

Visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil: revisiting paradigms of epidemiology and control

“…The opossum Didelphis albiventris was found naturally infected by L. infantum in Brazil 44,45 , as well as D. marsupialis in Colombia 13,47 and Venezuela 52 . In Barra de Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro State, the distance of the house from the forest border, its altitude and the presence of D. marsupialis in the backyard were found to be predictor factors for L. infantum infection in dogs 11 .…”

Ecology of the Leishmania Species in the Guianan Ecoregion Complex

“…However, a study in the Brazilian Amazon showed that crab-eating fox populations did maintain the transmission cycle independently of domestic dogs and that they were also unlikely to introduce the parasite into Leishmania-free dogs populations. 127,128 Some opossums commonly found in the GEC were naturally infected with L. (L.) infantum: Didelphis marsupialis in Columbia [129][130][131] and D. albiventris in Bahia, although foxes and rodents were not infected. 132,133 In Colombia, it was also suggested that the rodent Proechimys canicollis may be a reservoir host of this parasite, 107 but no infection was observed in Proechimys guyanensis after inoculation with a strain from Amazonian Brazil, 134 The status of these marsupial and rodent species as important reservoir hosts for L. (L.) infantum in some specific areas remains unclear.…”

Genetic diversity of Colombian sylvatic Trypanosoma cruzi isolates revealed by the ribosomal DNA

“…The heterogeneity among T. cruzi I from Colombia, as shown in the phenogram, may be attributed to the different host origin of the isolates and suggests a complexity of the sylvatic transmission cycle in this area (D'Alessandro et al 1984, Loyola et al 1987, Travi et al 1994. Both invertebrate (triatomines) and wild mammalian hosts may be acting as biological filters selecting parasite sub-populations, resulting in the presence of T. cruzi I as a predominant group in Colombia.…”

“…and Dassypus sp.). The genetic diversity found in Colombian Z3 isolates may be the reflection of its participation in the sylvatic cycle with the extreme biodiversity of putative mammals and vectors and therefore an increased possibility of independent cycles of transmission and selective pres- Travi et al 1994;b: Saravia et al 1987; c: zymodeme classification was previously described by Saravia et al (1987). The isolate Choachí 6 was kindly provided by Dr Felipe Guhl, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia; ND: not determined.…”