Trypanosoma cruzi infection in Didelphis marsupialis in Santa Catarina and Arvoredo Islands, Southern Brazil
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
; 95(6): 795-800, Nov.-Dec. 2000. mapas, tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-273433
Responsible library:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
Between 1984 and 1993 the prevalence of the Trypanosoma cruzi infection in opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) was studied in Santa Catarina and Arvoredo Islands, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The association of the triatomine bug Panstrongylus megistus with opossums nests and the infection rate of these triatomines by T. cruzi was also studied. Thirteen different locations were studied in Santa Catarina Island (SCI), in which 137 D. marsupialis were collected. Sixty two opossums were collected at the Arvoredo Island (AI), located 12 miles north from SCI. All captured animals were submitted to parasitological examinations that revealed the presence of T. cruzi in 21.9 percent of the opossums captured in SCI and 45.2 percent among opossums captured in the AI. The presence of P. megistus was detected in most of the D. marsupialis nests collected in the SCI, however, in the non-inhabited AI only eight triatomines were collected during the whole study. The presence of T. cruzi-infected D. marsupialis associated with P. megistus in human dwellings in the SCI, and the high infection rate of D. marsupilais by T. cruzi in the absence of a high vector density are discussed
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Health context:
Neglected Diseases
Health problem:
Chagas Disease
/
Neglected Diseases
/
Zoonoses
Database:
LILACS
Main subject:
Opossums
/
Trypanosoma cruzi
/
Chagas Disease
Type of study:
Prevalence study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Journal subject:
Tropical Medicine
/
Parasitology
Year:
2000
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina/BR