title: Predominance of Trypanosoma rangeli infection in children from a Chagas disease endemic area in the west-shore of the Panama canal.
abstract: A total of 206 serum samples from children (3-14 years old) living in the Amador County (La Chorrera District, Province of Panama) were screened by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for the presence of antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi. Positive sera were confirmed by recombinant enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analysis. The presence of blood trypanosomes was investigated by hemoculture and subsequently identify by a duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by dot blot hybridization. The results indicated a prevalence of 9.7% for trypanosome infections, a seroprevalence of 2.9% against T. cruzi and a predominance of T. rangeli infection (6.8%). The immunological and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, PO Box 0816-02593, Panama 5, Republic of Panama. azasal@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Azael
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saldaña
authors.forename: Franklyn
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Samudio
authors.forename: Aracelis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: Lissette M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: Sara P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Saavedra
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cáceres
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bayard
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Calzada
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D010176:Panama / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan