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Ferrer E, Aguilar CM, Viettri M, Torrellas A, Lares M, Diaz M, Delgado O, Feliciangeli MD, Herrera L. Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis, Sympatric Zoonoses Present in Human from Rural Communities of Venezuela. Acta Parasitol 2024; 69:616-627. [PMID: 38294711 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00786-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. coexist in several endemic areas, and there are few studies of Chagas disease and leishmaniasis coinfection worldwide; for this reason, the objective of this work was to determine the Chagas disease and leishmaniasis coinfection in several rural communities co-endemic for these diseases. METHODS A total of 1107 human samples from six co-endemic rural communities of Cojedes state, Venezuela, were analyzed. Serum samples were evaluated by ELISA, indirect hemagglutination, and indirect immunofluorescence for Chagas disease diagnosis, and individuals were evaluated for leishmaniasis by leishmanin skin test (LST). Approximately, 30% of the individuals were also analyzed by PCR (blood clot samples) for T. cruzi and for Leishmania spp. RESULTS The 14.7% of the individuals were positive to Trypanosoma cruzi infection by serology, and 25.8% were positive to Leishmania spp. current or past infection by LST. Among the group with PCR results, 7.8% were positive for T. cruzi, and 9.4% for Leishmania spp. The coinfection T. cruzi/Leishmania spp. was 6.5%. The T. cruzi DTUs of the positive blood clot samples were TcI, revealed using the molecular markers: (i) intergenic region of the miniexon, (ii) D7 divergent domain of the 24Sα rDNA, (iii) size-variable domain of the 18S rDNA, and (iv) hsp60-PCR-RFLP (EcoRV). The Leishmania species identified were L. (Leishmania) mexicana and L. (Viannia) braziliensis. CONCLUSION A high prevalence was found for T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. single and coinfections in almost all communities studied, being these results of relevance for the implementation of control programs in co-endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ferrer
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Dr. Francisco J. Triana Alonso" (BIOMED), Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, calle Cecilio Acosta, Urb. La Rinconada, Las Delicias, Maracay, estado Aragua, Venezuela.
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, Maracay, estado Aragua, Venezuela.
| | - Cruz M Aguilar
- Centro de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET-UC), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Carabobo, San Carlos, Cojedes, Venezuela
| | - Mercedes Viettri
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Dr. Francisco J. Triana Alonso" (BIOMED), Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, calle Cecilio Acosta, Urb. La Rinconada, Las Delicias, Maracay, estado Aragua, Venezuela
| | - Annhymariet Torrellas
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Dr. Francisco J. Triana Alonso" (BIOMED), Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, calle Cecilio Acosta, Urb. La Rinconada, Las Delicias, Maracay, estado Aragua, Venezuela
| | - María Lares
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Dr. Francisco J. Triana Alonso" (BIOMED), Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, calle Cecilio Acosta, Urb. La Rinconada, Las Delicias, Maracay, estado Aragua, Venezuela
| | - Marietta Diaz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET-UC), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Carabobo, San Carlos, Cojedes, Venezuela
| | - Olinda Delgado
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical (IMT), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
| | - María D Feliciangeli
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Dr. Francisco J. Triana Alonso" (BIOMED), Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, calle Cecilio Acosta, Urb. La Rinconada, Las Delicias, Maracay, estado Aragua, Venezuela
| | - Leidi Herrera
- Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical (IZET), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
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Morocoima A, Herrera L, Rattia C, Figueroa M, Ferrer E. Parasitological and molecular characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi of triatomines and mammals from endemic areas for Chagas disease in Venezuela. Parasitol Res 2023; 123:17. [PMID: 38060033 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08072-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
It is estimated that 6-7 million people worldwide are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. In Venezuela, Chagas disease remains a public health problem. In this work, T. cruzi isolates from six species of triatomines and mammals of the orders Didelphimorphia and Xenarthra, captured in rural communities of Monagas, underwent parasitological and molecular characterization. A total of 471 triatomines and 17 mammals were captured, with a natural infection rate of 41.4% and 70.6%, respectively. In the male NMRI mouse model used for parasitological characterization (prepatent period, parasitemia curve, mouse mortality, and tissular parasitism), T. cruzi isolates exhibited high lethality due to their pronounced virulence, irrespective of the parasite load in each mouse, resulting in a mortality rate of 75%. Among the vector isolates, in the mouse model, only 2 out of 6 remained alive, while the rest perished during the evaluation. Conversely, the isolates from mammals proved fatal for all the inoculated mice. All isolates were identified as belonging to DTU TcI, based on the molecular markers such as the intergenic region of the miniexon, D7 divergent domain of the 24Sα rDNA, size-variable domain of the 18S rDNA, and hsp60-PCR-RFLP-EcoRV. This study demonstrates the presence of vectors and mammalian reservoirs naturally infected with T. cruzi in communities of Monagas, the 9th largest and 9th most populous state in Venezuela. This situation represents a neglected epidemiological problem demanding urgent attention and imperative health care intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Morocoima
- Centro de Medicina Tropical de Oriente, Universidad de Oriente (UDO), Núcleo Anzoátegui, Barcelona, Estado Anzoátegui, Venezuela
| | - Leidi Herrera
- Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical (IZET), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
- Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Central, Asunción, Paraguay
| | - César Rattia
- Centro de Medicina Tropical de Oriente, Universidad de Oriente (UDO), Núcleo Anzoátegui, Barcelona, Estado Anzoátegui, Venezuela
| | - Mario Figueroa
- Centro de Medicina Tropical de Oriente, Universidad de Oriente (UDO), Núcleo Anzoátegui, Barcelona, Estado Anzoátegui, Venezuela
| | - Elizabeth Ferrer
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Dr, Francisco J. Triana Alonso" (BIOMED), Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, Calle Cecilio Acosta, Urb. La Rinconada, Las Delicias, Maracay, Estado Aragua, Venezuela.
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad de Carabobo Sede Aragua, Maracay, Estado Aragua, Venezuela.
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Herrera L, Morocoima A, Lozano-Arias D, García-Alzate R, Viettri M, Lares M, Ferrer E. Infections and Coinfections by Trypanosomatid Parasites in a Rural Community of Venezuela. Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:1015-1023. [PMID: 35013940 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00505-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma rangeli and Leishmania spp. are parasites that coexist in several endemic areas. The identification of these parasites in hosts is important for the control programs. METHODS 216 samples from human blood (101), blood of other mammals (45) and triatomine intestinal content and hemolymph (70), from an endemic area of Venezuela, were analysed. The samples were evaluated by; serology (only humans) and PCR for T. cruzi in human, other mammals and triatomines, PCR for T. rangeli in mammals-including human and triatomines and PCR for Leishmania in mammals-including human. RESULTS The 9.9% of the human samples were positive for T. cruzi by serology, 11.9% by PCR, 4% for T. rangeli PCR and none for Leishmania spp. PCR. 60% of the samples of other mammals showed DNA amplification for T. cruzi, 42.2% for T. rangeli and 4.4% for Leishmania spp. 61.4% of the triatomine samples showed DNA amplification for T. cruzi and 10% for T. rangeli. CONCLUSIONS High T. cruzi infection was detected in mammals and triatomines compared with T. rangeli. Low leishmanial infection was detected in other mammals. It is the first time that T. cruzi/T. rangeli coinfection, in humans, Canis familiaris (dog), and Bos Taurus (cow), were reported world-wide, and that this coinfection was described in Tamandua tetradactyla (anteater) from Venezuela. The coinfection T. cruzi/T. rangeli in mammals-including humans and triatomines, and coinfection T. cruzi/Leishmania spp. in non-human mammals, show the risk for trypanosomic zoonoses in this endemic area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leidi Herrera
- Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical (IZET), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Antonio Morocoima
- Centro de Medicina Tropical de Oriente, Universidad de Oriente (UDO), Núcleo Anzoátegui, Barcelona, Estado Anzoátegui, Venezuela
| | - Daisy Lozano-Arias
- Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical (IZET), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
- Fundación Universitaría San Martín, Sede Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Roberto García-Alzate
- Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical (IZET), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Universidad del Atlantico, Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
| | - Mercedes Viettri
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Dr. Francisco J. Triana Alonso" (BIOMED), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Sede Aragua, Universidad de Carabobo, Maracay, Estado Aragua, Venezuela
| | - María Lares
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Dr. Francisco J. Triana Alonso" (BIOMED), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Sede Aragua, Universidad de Carabobo, Maracay, Estado Aragua, Venezuela
| | - Elizabeth Ferrer
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Dr. Francisco J. Triana Alonso" (BIOMED), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Sede Aragua, Universidad de Carabobo, Maracay, Estado Aragua, Venezuela.
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Sede Aragua, Universidad de Carabobo, Maracay, Estado Aragua, Venezuela.
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Molecular characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi DTUs of the triatomine species in a Chagas disease endemic area. J Parasit Dis 2022; 46:64-71. [PMID: 35299926 PMCID: PMC8901897 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-021-01418-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical infection with great public health importance. This protozoan has triatomine insects as vector but may also be transmitted through blood transfusion, organ transplants, ingestion of contaminated food, or congenitally. It has a heterogeneous population classified into Discrete Typing Units (DTUs), TcI-TcVI and TcBat. The aim of this study was to molecularly characterize the DTUs of T. cruzi in triatomines from a Chagas disease endemic area in Northeastern Brazil. Triatomines were collected and the gut content was microscopically analyzed to investigate the presence of trypanosomatid flagellates. In addition, digestive tracts of some specimens were dissected and molecularly analyzed through PCR for Trypanosoma spp. and sequencing. PCR positive samples were further submitted to a multiplex PCR for DTUs of T. cruzi. A total of 117 triatomines were collected, 93.16% being in intradomicile and 6.84% in peridomicile environments. Insects were identified as Panstrongylus lutzi (37.60%), Triatoma pseudomaculata (26.50%), Triatoma brasiliensis (23.08%) and Panstrongylus megistus (12.82%). The specimens herein analyzed presented infection rates by T. cruzi of 5.49% and 12.09% in parasitological and molecular examinations, respectively. Multiplex PCR screening revealed 70.59% of the TcI genotype, detected in all triatomine species identified in this study and 29.41% of the DTU TcIII/TcIV detected in P. megistus and P. lutzi. T. cruzi infect triatomines in intradomicile and peridomicile environments, which brings attention to the risk of human infections and to the importance of the implementation of surveillance and entomological control actions.
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