Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in rodents and marsupials of two localities of Manabi, Ecuador Prevalencia de Trypanosoma cruzi en roedores y marsupiales en dos localidades de Manabi, Ecuador

Pinto, C.; Miguel; Grijalva, M.J.; Costales, J.A.

Revista de la Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador. Septiembre; 71: 225-233

2003


Document Number: 427242
The prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in marsupials and rodents was examined in Cruz Alta and Pimpiguasi (Manabi province, Ecuador). Three different habitats were sampled: domiciliary, peridomiciliary, and agricultural fields. Blood samples and cardiac tissue were taken and examined by direct microscopy, hemoculture (LIT), and polimerase chain reaction (PCR). For the PCR, three sets of primers were used to amplify DNA from kinetoplast minicircle (MCS), flagellar protein gene (FPS), and nuclear repetitive sequence (TCZ). Twenty eight animals belonging to 5 species were captured. Seven of those (21%) were positive for T. cruzi (3/3 Didelphis marsupialis, 1/7 Philander opossum, 2/3 Rattus rattus, 1/6 Mus musculus). The most abundant species in the community of Cruz Alta was Proechimys aff. decumanus (n= 9); however, none of the individuals was infected. All the marsupials were captured in agricultural fields, away from domiciles, but all the positive rodents were captured inside domiciles (Rattus rattus), and in the peridomicile (Mus musculus), this suggests that rodents are the most important public health risk as Chagas' disease reservoir hosts in these localities.

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