Pre-Columbian Chagas disease in Brazil: Trypanosoma cruzi I in the archaeological remains of a human in Peruaçu Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
; 103(5): 514-516, Aug. 2008. ilus
Article
em En
| LILACS
| ID: lil-491973
Biblioteca responsável:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
We evaluated the presence and distribution of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in a mummy presenting with megacolon that was dated as approximately 560 ± 40 years old. The mummy was from the Peruaçu Valley in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. All samples were positive for T. cruzi minicircle DNA, demonstrating the presence and broad dissemination of the parasite in this body. From one sample, a mini-exon gene fragment was recovered and characterized by sequencing and was found to belong to the T. cruzi I genotype. This finding suggests that T. cruzi I infected humans during the pre-Columbian times and that, in addition to T. cruzi infection, Chagas disease in Brazil most likely preceded European colonization.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
LILACS
Assunto principal:
Paleopatologia
/
Trypanosoma cruzi
/
Múmias
/
Doença de Chagas
/
Megacolo
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
America do sul
/
Brasil
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Assunto da revista:
MEDICINA TROPICAL
/
PARASITOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2008
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil
País de publicação:
Brasil