Trypanosoma cruzi in wild raccoons, opossums, and triatomine bugs in southeast Georgia, U.S.A

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 81; no. 2; pp. 324 - 326
• Main Authors: Pung, O.J. (Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA.), Banks, C.W, Jones, D.N, Krissinger, M.W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS American Society of Parasitologists 01-04-1995
• Subjects: AETIOLOGY; Animal protozoal diseases; Animal traps; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Chagas disease; Chagas Disease - epidemiology; Chagas Disease - veterinary; DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES; DIDELPHIS MARSUPIALIS; Didelphis virginiana; DISEASE PREVALENCE; EPIMASTIGOTES; ETAPAS DE DESARROLLO; ETIOLOGIA; ETIOLOGIE; Female; GEORGIA (EUA); GEORGIA (USA); Georgia - epidemiology; GEORGIE (EU); Hemiptera; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Male; Mammals; MAPACHE; Medical sciences; OPOSSUM; OPOSSUMS; Opossums - parasitology; Parasitemia - epidemiology; Parasitemia - veterinary; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Parasitology; Prevalence; PROCYON LOTOR; Protozoal diseases; RACCOONS; Raccoons - parasitology; RATON LAVEUR; Reduviidae; Research Notes; Squirrels; STADE DE DEVELOPPEMENT; TRIATOMA; Triatoma - parasitology; TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI; Trypanosoma cruzi - isolation & purification; ZARIGUEYA; Georgia; United States; North America; America; USA, Georgia; Protozoal disease; Prevalence; Insecta; Chagas disease; Wild animal; Heteroptera; Infectious risk; Pathogenic; Infectivity; Marsupialia; Trypanosomiasis; Reduviidae; Human; Fissipedia; Protozoa; Carnivora; Parasite; Parasitosis; Trypanosoma cruzi; Infection; Didelphis marsupialis; Procyon lotor; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Arthropoda; Rhizoflagellata; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.2307/3283947

The prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection among wild opossums and raccoons live-trapped in 6 southeast Georgia counties was determined. Epimastigotes typical of T. cruzi were observed in liver infusion tryptose medium cultures of blood from 6 of 39 opossums (15.4%) and 12 of 54 raccoons (22.2%). Trypomastigotes (6,000/ml) were observed in a wet mount of blood from 1 of the animals, a raccoon trapped on St. Catherines Island in Liberty County. In addition, T. cruzi parasites were observed in the gut contents of 3 of 5 specimens of the triatomine bug Triatoma sanguisuga (Leconte) collected near human dwellings in Bulloch County. This is the first report of T. cruzi-infected triatomine bugs in Georgia.