Abstract
A wide variety of mammals are involved in the sylvatic cycle of Trypanosomacruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. In many areas in Latin America where T.cruzi is endemic, this cycle is poorly known, and its main reservoirs have not been identified. In this study we analyzed T.cruzi infection in bats and other small mammals from an Ecological Reserve in southeastern Mexico. From January through March 2021, we captured wild individuals to extract cardiac and peripheral blood, and infection was detected by PCR of the mini-exon gene. In bats, the prevalence of infection was 16.36%, while in small mammals the prevalence was 28.57%. All of the samples that were positive for T.cruzi were identified as the TCI genotype. Our findings suggest that this zone, situated at the periphery of urban zones might have epidemiological relevance in the sylvatic cycle of T.cruzi and needs to be monitored. The infection of bats in this area is particularly concerning since the flight pattern of this populations overlaps with human settlements. Despite being subject to conservation protections, there continue to be anthropogenic actions that disturb the study area, which could exacerbate risks to public health.
Highlights
The protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas, 1909) (Kinetoplastida, Trypanosomatidae) is the causative agent of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical infection affecting ~6 million people (Krats 2019)
Our findings suggest that this zone, situated at the periphery of urban zones might have epidemiological relevance in the sylvatic cycle of T. cruzi and needs to be monitored
We show evidence of the circulation of T. cruzi in wild mammals from an ecological reserve in southeastern Mexico
Summary
The protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas, 1909) (Kinetoplastida, Trypanosomatidae) is the causative agent of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical infection affecting ~6 million people (Krats 2019). In sylvatic cycles in wild habitats, marsupials, edentates, and rodents are important reservoirs, but T. cruzi can infect more than 100 different species of wild mammals (Noireau et al 2009; Alvarado-Otegui et al 2012) This heterogeneity suggests a highly variable ecology of T. cruzi, and each area may have a unique set of conditions underlying the occurrence of the parasite (Moreira-Alves et al 2016). Largescale changes in land use and habitat fragmentation can affect wild transmission cycles of T. cruzi (Vaz et al 2007), mostly because habitat loss restricts the area and food resources available to wild mammals, which can increase their contact with humans. All these factors support the need to conduct new studies to better understand the dynamics of T. cruzi transmission in wild ecotopes
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