title: Vector-borne transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi among captive Neotropical primates in a Brazilian zoo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neotropical primates are important sylvatic hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. Infection is often subclinical, but severe disease has been described in both free-ranging and captive primates. Panstrongylus megistus, a major T. cruzi vector, was found infesting a small-primate unit at Brasília zoo (ZooB), Brazil. ZooB lies close to a gallery-forest patch where T. cruzi circulates naturally. Here, we combine parasitological and molecular methods to investigate a focus of T. cruzi infection involving triatomine bugs and Neotropical primates at a zoo located in the Brazilian Savannah.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed T. cruzi infection in vectors using optical microscopy (n = 34) and nested PCR (n = 50). We used quantitative PCR (qPCR) to examine blood samples from 26 primates and necropsy samples from two primates that died during the study. We determined parasite lineages in five vectors and two primates by comparing glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (G6pi) gene sequences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trypanosoma cruzi was found in 44 vectors and 17 primates (six genera and eight species); one Mico chrysoleucus and one Saguinus niger had high parasitaemias. Trypanosoma cruzi DNA was detected in three primates born to qPCR-negative mothers at ZooB and in the two dead specimens. One Callithrix geoffroyi became qPCR-positive over a two-year follow-up. All G6pi sequences matched T. cruzi lineage TcI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings strongly suggest vector-borne T. cruzi transmission within a small-primate unit at ZooB - with vectors, and perhaps also parasites, presumably coming from nearby gallery forest. Periodic checks for vectors and parasites would help eliminate T. cruzi transmission foci in captive-animal facilities. This should be of special importance for captive-breeding programs involving endangered mammals, and would reduce the risk of accidental T. cruzi transmission to keepers and veterinarians.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Área de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, Brasília, 70910-900, Distrito Federal, Brazil. thaistam@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Thaís Tâmara Castro
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Minuzzi-Souza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. nnitz@unb.br.
authors.forename: Nadjar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nitz
authors.affiliation: Diretoria de Vigilância Ambiental do Distrito Federal, Secretaria de Saúde, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. monaknox@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Monique Britto
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Knox
authors.affiliation: Fundação Jardim Zoológico de Brasília, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. filipereisbio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. loubex@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hagström
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Área de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, Brasília, 70910-900, Distrito Federal, Brazil. cesarcuba@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: César A Cuba
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cuba
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Biociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. marianahecht@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariana Machado
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hecht
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Médica e Biologia de Vetores, Área de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, Brasília, 70910-900, Distrito Federal, Brazil. gurgelrg@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gurgel-Gonçalves
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005956:Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase / Q000235:genetics; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010203:Panstrongylus / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011323:Primates / Q000469:parasitology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D005956:Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase
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