1. Molecular identification of Trypanosoma cruzi in domestic animals in municipalities of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
- Author
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de Araújo-Neto VT, Barbosa-Silva AN, Medeiros Honorato NR, Sales LML, de Cassia Pires R, do Nascimento Brito CR, da Matta Guedes PM, da Cunha Galvão LM, and da Câmara ACJ
- Subjects
- Animals, Sheep, Animals, Domestic parasitology, Brazil epidemiology, Phylogeny, Cities, Insect Vectors parasitology, Goats, Trypanosoma cruzi genetics, Chagas Disease epidemiology, Chagas Disease veterinary, Chagas Disease parasitology, Triatoma genetics
- Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne zoonotic parasite which has been little studied regarding its infection in domestic animals. In this study, we evaluated the occurrence of natural infection by T. cruzi in farm animals using molecular markers and phylogenetic analysis in blood clot samples of 60 sheep (Ovis aires), 22 goats (Capra hircus), and 14 horses (Equus caballus) in eight municipalities located in an infection risk area in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Northeast Region of Brazil. Trypanosoma spp. infection was identified by amplifying the rRNA 18S SSU gene in 48.9% of the samples. The SH022 sample showed 99.8% similarity with the Y strain of T. cruzi in phylogeny, grouped in the DTU II clade. Blood clots of sheep, goats, and horses detected T. cruzi kDNA in 28.3% (17/60), 22.7% (5/22), and 15.4% (2/14) of the samples, respectively. These animals were distributed in the three studied mesoregions throughout the state of RN. The identification of natural infection in domestic animals contributes to expand the epidemiological transmission scenario in an area where T. brasiliensis is the main vector., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
- Published
- 2023
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