Epidemiological factors related to the transmission risk of Trypanosoma cruzi in a Quilombola community, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
BACKGROUND
This work was an epidemiological investigation of the risk of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in the rural Quilombola community of Furnas do Dionízio, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.


METHODS
Of the 71 animals examined, seven were captured (two opossums, Didelphis albiventris; four rats, Rattus rattus; and one nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus) and 64 were domestic (one canine, Canis familiaris; five pigs, Sus scrofa; two bovines, Bos taurus; five caprines, Capra sp.; and 51 ovines, Ovis aries). Parasitological tests were performed to detect parasites in the blood and to identify the morphology of flagellates. These methods included fresh examinations, buffy coat tests and blood cultures. Molecular analysis of DNA for identification of trypanosomatids was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers S35 and S36.


RESULTS
The parasitological tests showed flagellates in an opossum and two cattle. The molecular tests showed DNA from T. cruzi in an opossum and a pig. Triatoma sordida was the only triatomine species found in the community, and it colonized households (four specimens) and the surrounding areas (124 specimens). Twenty-three specimens tested positive for flagellates, which were subsequently identified as T. cruzi by PCR.


CONCLUSIONS
Data analysis demonstrated that T. cruzi has a peridomestic life cycle that involves both domestic and wild mammals.
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
Marlon Cezar
MC
Cominetti
Renato
R
Andreotti
Elisa Teruya
ET
Oshiro
Maria Elizabeth Moraes Cavalheiros
ME
Dorval
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000469:parasitology*; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology*; D044383:Black People; D001938:Brazil; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000635:transmission; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D008322:Mammals; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D014225:Triatominae / Q000469:parasitology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D016054:DNA, Protozoan