Mixed infection of Trypanosoma cruzi I and II in a Colombian cardiomyopathic patient.
The Trypanosoma cruzi taxon is composed of 2 major lineages, T cruzi I and T cruzi II. The clinical symptoms of Chagas disease are highly variable, and their geographic distribution is correlated with the distribution of the parasite lineages. In Colombia and northern South America, T cruzi I lineage is associated with chagasic cardiomyopathy. Alternatively, in the countries south cone of South America, there is a predominance of T cruzi II, which is associated with cardiomyopathy and digestive diseases. We report for the first time a mixed infection consisting of both T cruzi I and T cruzi II detected in the esophagus and in the heart, respectively, of a cardiomyopathic patient from an endemic area in Santander, Colombia. This finding has epidemiological relevance related to the association of T cruzi II with the clinical manifestations of Chagas disease and its frequency in Colombia and countries in northern South America.
Grupo de Inmunología y Epidemiología Molecular, GIEM, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia AA678.
Julio C
JC
Mantilla
German A
GA
Zafra
Andrea M
AM
Macedo
Clara Isabel
CI
González
D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000469:parasitology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*