First report of Sapajus cay naturally infected by Trypanosoma cruzi in San Pedro Department, Paraguay

• Published in: Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 327 - 332
• Main Authors: Acosta, Nidia, Miret, Jorge, López, Elsa, Schinini, Alicia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinária 01-07-2016; Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria
• Subjects: Paraguay; PARASITOLOGY; primates; Trypanosoma cruzi; VETERINARY SCIENCES; primates; Paraguay; Paraguai; Trypanosoma cruzi; primatas
• ISSN: 0103-846X; 1984-2961; 1984-2961
• DOI: 10.1590/S1984-29612016052

To verify the occurrence of natural Trypanosoma cruzi infection in non-human primates from a rural endemic area of the east region of Paraguay, xenodiagnosis was performed in 35 animals belonging to two species. For genotyping and T. cruzi discrete typing unit (DTU) assignment, a combination of four markers was used, including amplification products of the small (18S) and large (24Sα) subunits of ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene, the intergenic region of mini-exon gene and the heat shock protein 60 Eco-RV polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (HSP60/EcoRV-PCR-RFLP). One specimen of Sapajus cay was found positive and infected by the DTU TcII. This result constitutes the first record of natural T. cruzi infection in a sylvatic monkey in Paraguay, harbouring a DTU associated with severe Chagas disease in humans.