Abstract

VILLEGAS-GARCIA, Juan Carlos  and  SANTILLAN-ALARCON, Salvador. Sylvatic focus of American Trypanosomiasis in the State of Morelos, Mexico. Rev. biol. trop [online]. 2001, vol.49, n.2, pp.685-688. ISSN 0034-7744.

Wild vectors and reservoir hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi were surveyed from February 1993 to June 1994 in Ticumán (18°46’N, 99°07’W), Mexico (Deciduous Tropical Forest). Direct faeces examination showed that 87% of Triatoma pallidipennis hosted the parasite; T. cruzi forms were present in cultures inoculated with faeces of fifty 67% triatomine bugs and thirty CD-1 strain mice (10 d old) inoculated (peritoneum) with faeces of positive insects T. cruzi amastigotes were found in heart 67%, kidneys 47%, liver 80%, lungs 50%, oesophagus 60%, skin 23%, spleen 73% and stomach 60%. T. cruzi was isolated by direct blood examination from seven 21% chiropterans and five 38% rodents and T. cruzi forms were present in cultures inoculated with blood of twenty-three 68% chiropterans and seven 54% rodents and T. cruzi amastigotes were seen in the kidneys of one 3% chiropterans and four 31% rodents and only in one Pteronotus parnellii mexicanus, organisms were seen in skin 2%. There was no association between organs and T. cruzi infection (p 0.05).

Keywords : wild mammals.