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. 2022 Jun;67(2):1015-1023.
doi: 10.1007/s11686-021-00505-1. Epub 2022 Jan 11.

Infections and Coinfections by Trypanosomatid Parasites in a Rural Community of Venezuela

Leidi Herrera  1 , Antonio Morocoima  2 , Daisy Lozano-Arias  1   3 , Roberto García-Alzate  1   4 , Mercedes Viettri  5 , María Lares  5 , Elizabeth Ferrer  6   7
Affiliations

Infections and Coinfections by Trypanosomatid Parasites in a Rural Community of Venezuela

Leidi Herrera et al. Acta Parasitol. 2022 Jun.

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.

Keywords: Coinfections; Diagnosis; Hosts; Leishmania; Trypanosoma; Venezuela.

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