Investigando a presença de Trypanosoma cruzi em gambás-de-orelha- preta (Didelphis aurita) residentes em um parque urbano da cidade de São Paulo

Abstract

The increasing appearance of Chagas disease insect vectors in the metropolitan region of São Paulo has led endemic control entities to be alarmed at the potential increase in the number of cases of the disease. Trypanosoma cruzi is a flagellated protozoan responsible of trypanosomiasis, which has as the main vectors hematophagous triatomines. In the recently reported colonies of Panstrongylus infestans in urban areas around São Paulo, most of them are carrying the protozoan. Mammals of the orders, Didelphimorphia and Cingulata are known as primitive reservoirs of T. cruzi, which is also found in Primates and Chiroptera. It is suggested that the dissemination of the protozoan to other species has occurred through predation and direct contact with physiological secretions contained in mucous membranes and lesions, since the secretions contained in paracloacal glands of marsupials are also an important contaminant material. The objective of this study were investigate the possible presence of the protozoan T. cruzi in blood samples of the Neotropical marsupial Didelphis aurita in the park of Instituto Butantan. For the analysis of hemoparasites, blood samples were collected from the caudal vein for 7 animals. The analysis were made with blood smears on histological slides fixed in methyl alcohol, and stained by the Giemsa method for observation by microscopy. No positive results were obtained for T. cruzi after analyzing the samples collected.