Anotaciones sobre la enfermedad de Chagas en Panamá. Frecuencia y distribución de <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> y <i>Trypanosoma rangeli</i>

Abstract

In Panama Chagas' disease occurs primarily in the provinces of Panama and Colon, near the Canal Zone. Trypanosoma cruzi infections appear to be of moderate parasitemia and short patency, without inducement of megaviscera. In Panama province the prevalence in the rural population was 2.8% and 1.9% in the province of Colon. In both provinces T. rangeli is 6 to 10 times more frequent than T. cruzi. Positive serologic reactions (complement fixation) were found in almost all the provinces, ranging locally from 3.1 % to 21.5 % of the total population.

The following animals are important reservoir hosts of T. cruzi: Rattus rattus, Didelphis marsupialis, Dasypus novemcinctus, Tamandua tetradactyla;, Proechimys semispinosus, Saguinus geoffroyi and Artibeus jamaicensis. The following triatomines are known as natural T. cruzi vectors: Rhodnius pallescens, Triatoma dimidiata, T. dispar, Panstrongylus geniculatus, Eratyrus cuspidatus and Cavemicola pilosa.

Trypanosoma rangeli from Panama differs in various biological charo acteristics from South and Central America strains, it is not able to develop in the hemolymph or salivary glands of Rhodnius prolixus, but develops in R. pallescens.