Estudio de la prevalencia de la infección por Trypanosoma cruzi en zarigüeyas (Didelphis albiventris) en Santiago del Estero, Argentina

Molecular epidemiology of domestic and sylvatic Trypanosoma cruzi infection in rural northwestern Argentina

“…Moreover, no infection was found among 162 rodents examined for T. cruzi during 2002-2007 this study) despite rodent infections being common in Bolivia, Chile and Brazil (Cortez et al, 2006, Herrera et al, 2007Rozas et al, 2007). Dogs could become infected with TC I or TC IIc while visiting the forest or hunting, since dogs were reported to kill opossums in this area (Schweigmann et al, 1999). In the core area, the two dogs infected with TC I or TC IIc had already been found infected before 1992, when intense transmission of T. cruzi occurred and transmission cycles overlapped to some extent.…”

“…Unlike our study, TC IId predominated in bugs from Chaco Province. The predominance of lineage I among isolates from sylvatic habitats is probably due to the role of opossums as the major local sylvatic reservoir host of T. cruzi (Schweigmann et al 1999) and to the absence of T. cruzi infection among armadillos. Opossums have consistently been found infected almost exclusively with lineage I throughout the Chaco region and the Americas (Barnabé et al, 2000;Ceballos et al, 2006;Diosque et al, 2003;Wisnivesky-Colli et al, 1992;Yeo et al, 2005).…”

“…Sylvatic triatomines or mammals invading artificial ecotopes and synanthropic mammals (i.e., rats, mice, domestic dogs and cats) or humans visiting natural foci may introduce sylvatic parasites into the domestic environment (Barreto, 1975;Diotaiuti et al, 1995). Opossums frequently approach human dwellings and may serve as a bridge host between the sylvatic and the domestic environment (Diotaiuti et al, 1995, Schweigmann et al, 1999. However, given the sharp decline in the abundance and prevalence of T. cruzi in opossums in the study area , such introductions seem unlikely at present.…”

“…To assess the occurrence of variation in the distribution of T. cruzi lineages among hosts within the same region we compared our results (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007) with data collected in Santiago del Estero Province in the late 1980s (De Luca D'Oro et al 1993) and in Chaco Province over 1999(Diosque et al 2003 (Table 3). Given the low numbers of humans and opossums sampled and the homogeneity of results, for these host species we pooled our data with the Chaco data and compared these with data published by De Luca D 'Oro et al (1993).…”

Characterization of Triatoma guasayana biotopes in a hardwood forest of Santiago del Estero, Argentina

“…In the hardwood forest of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, T. guasayana has been found in dry cactacea, bromeliads, and logs, which are also used as temporary shelters by opossums (Didelphis albiventris), the main wild reservoir host of Trypanosoma cruzi (Schweigmann et al 1999).…”