title: Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastida Trypanosomatidae): ecology of the transmission cycle in the wild environment of the Andean valley of Cochabamba, Bolivia.
abstract: An active Trypanosoma cruzi transmission cycle maintained by wild rodents in the Andean valleys of Cochabamba Bolivia is described. Wild and domestic Triatoma infestans with 60% infection with T. cruzi were found and was evidenced in 47.5% (rodents) and 26.7% (marsupial) by parasitological and/or serologycal methods. Phyllotis ocilae and the marsupial species Thylamys elegans, are the most important reservoirs followed by Bolomys lactens and Akodon boliviensis. In spite of both genotypes (TCI and TCII) being prevalent in Bolivia, in our study area only T. cruzi I is being transmitted. Our data suggest that wild T. infestans and wild small mammals play an important role in the maintenance of the transmission cycle of T. cruzi. Furthermore, the finding of high prevalence of T. cruzi infection in wild T. infestans point to the risk of the dispersion of Chagas' disease.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brasil 4365, CP 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mirko Rojas
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cortez
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cuervo
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alfaro
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solano
authors.forename: Samanta C C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Paulo Sergio
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Faustino
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torrico
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noireau
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jansen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001838:Bolivia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D017753:Ecosystem; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D009893:Opossums / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011891:Rain; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D012621:Seasons; D016205:Sigmodontinae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology*; D014224:Triatoma / Q000469:parasitology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology