Predominance of Trypanosoma cruzi I among Panamanian sylvatic isolates.
Trypanosoma cruzi is throughout Panama, which is in agreement with the widespread of the sylvatic vectors implicated in the transmission. Eco-epidemiological changes in some regions of the country have led to a successful dissemination of the palm-tree Attalea butyracea and a possible adaptation of the primary vector of Chagas' disease to human settlements. These facts might increase both vector-human contact and human infection with different potentials T. cruzi genotypes and make therefore necessary a study to disclose Panamanian T. cruzi make-up. In this study, 71 T. cruzi isolates from Rhodnius pallescens were analyzed using mini-exon gene and sequence-characterized amplified region markers. The analyzed strains were T. cruzi lineage I. This finding along with prior results indicates that T. cruzi I is the principal genotype circulating in both sylvatic and domestic/peridomestic cycles and consequently responsible for the disease in the country.
Samudio
Franklyn
F
Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, Panama City, Panama. fsamudio@gorgas.gob.pa
Ortega-Barría
Eduardo
E
Saldaña
Azael
A
Calzada
Jose
J
D000818:Animals; D028023:Arecaceae; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D010176:Panama; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012239:Rhodnius / Q000469:parasitology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D016054:DNA, Protozoan