Delimitation of Trypanosoma cruzi zymodemes by numerical taxonomy

Abstract

Based on the absence or presence of 24 isoenzyme characters, Brazilian Trypanosoma cruzi stocks can be separated by methods of numerical taxonomy into three principal, distinct groups; these groups correspond to the three T. cruzi zymodemes previously reported from north Brazil. A distinction is drawn between taxonomy, which may be of zoological interest only, and identification of medically important groups according to one or a few distinguishing characters.