American trypanosamiasis: determination of epidemiologic transmission risk in Amalfi, Antioquia, Colombia

Abstract

In this paper we report the first Chagas disease study in Antioquia-Colombia, in which the main components of this disease were simultaneously evaluated: vector, parasite and host. Field studies were carried out evaluating 640 houses in nine localities from the municipality of Amalfi; 196 triatomine bugs were captured: Panstrongylus geniculatus (49%), Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus (47%), Triatoma dispar (3%) and Rhodnius pallescens (0.5%). Thirty three wild animals were captured: Didelphis marsupialis (8), Marmosa robinsoni (1), Hoplomys gimnurus (3), Dasypus novemcinctus (2), Proechymis sp (13), Oryzomis sp (3), Philander opossum (3) as well as 63 dogs (Canis lupus). Transmission risk indicators for Trypanosoma cruzi were: Dispersion (100%), Domiciliary infestation (14,5%), Insect density (30,5%), crowding (204,2%) and Relative infection (12,5%). Of the nine localities studied, Montebello (61.1%) and La Gardenia (70.0%) presented the highest prevalence of antibodies in dogs. In addition to this, the first human positive serology for T. cruzi in Antioquia was found in La Gardenia.