title: Trypanosoma cruzi in wild raccoons, opossums, and triatomine bugs in southeast Georgia, U.S.A.
abstract: The prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection among wild opossums and raccoons live-trapped in 6 southeast Georgia counties was determined. Epimastigotes typical of T. cruzi were observed in liver infusion tryptose medium cultures of blood from 6 of 39 opossums (15.4%) and 12 of 54 raccoons (22.2%). Trypomastigotes (6,000/ml) were observed in a wet mount of blood from 1 of the animals, a raccoon trapped on St. Catherines Island in Liberty County. In addition, T. cruzi parasites were observed in the gut contents of 3 of 5 specimens of the triatomine bug Triatoma sanguisuga (Leconte) collected near human dwellings in Bulloch County. This is the first report of T. cruzi-infected triatomine bugs in Georgia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro 30460-8042, USA.
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Pung
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Krissinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009893:Opossums / Q000469:parasitology*; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D011821:Raccoons / Q000469:parasitology*; D014224:Triatoma / Q000469:parasitology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000302:isolation & purification*