HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (6) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by CALZADA, J. E. Articles by SALDAÑA, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by CALZADA, J. E. Articles by SALDAÑA, A. Related Collections Trypanosomiasis Triatomine bugs Chagas Disease Medical Entomology

HUMAN TRYPANOSOME INFECTION AND THE PRESENCE OF INTRADOMICILE RHODNIUS PALLESCENS IN THE WESTERN BORDER OF THE PANAMA CANAL, PANAMA

An entomologic search was carried out to collect intradomicile triatomines in dwellings from rural communities in the western border of the Panama Canal, Panama. Sixty-nine triatomines were collected inside 20 houses of 67 houses investigated. Rhodnius pallescens was the only triatomine species found and included adults of both sexes and nymphs. A significantly high Trypanosoma cruzi (72.7%) and T. rangeli (40%) vector infection rate was detected. Blood meal analysis showed that 68% of R. pallescens had fed on humans. Human serologic analaysis and hemoculture performed on inhabitants from triatomine-infested houses showed that 32.1% (18 of 56) of the samples were trypanosome infected. Thirteen samples (23.2%) had antibodies against T. cruzi. Six of these seropositive samples were from children less than 15 years old. Trypanosoma rangeli was isolated in five hemoculture samples, all from children less than 11 years old. The epidemiologic implications of these findings in terms of human infection are discussed.

Received August 26, 2005. Accepted for publication January 11, 2006.

Acknowledgments: We thank Roberto Rojas, Jose Montenegro, and Enrique Martinez for field and technical assistance.

Financial support: This investigation was supported by grant A304558 from the United National Development Program/World Bank/World Health Organization World Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases. And grant PAN 6010 from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

^* Address correspondence to José E. Calzada, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Apartado Postal No. 0816-02593, Panama, Republic of Panama. E-mail: jcalzada{at}gorgas.gob.pa

Authors’ address: José E. Calzada, Vanessa Pineda, Edilma Montalvo, Dayra Alvarez, Ana María Santamaría, Franklyn Samudio, Vicente Bayard, Lorenzo Cáceres, and Azael Saldaña, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Apartado Postal No. 0816-02593, Panama, Republic of Panama, Telephone: 507-227-4111, Fax: 507-225-4366, E-mail: jcalzada{at}gorgas.gob.pa.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. I. Espino, T. Gomez, G. Gonzalez, M. F. B. do Santos, J. Solano, O. Sousa, N. Moreno, D. Windsor, A. Ying, S. Vilchez, et al. Detection of Wolbachia Bacteria in Multiple Organs and Feces of the Triatomine Insect Rhodnius pallescens (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) Appl. Envir. Microbiol., January 15, 2009; 75(2): 547 - 550. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]