Predominance of Trypanosoma cruzi I among Panamanian sylvatic isolates

Trypanosoma cruzi is throughout Panama, which is in agreement with the widespread of the sylvatic vectors implicated in the transmission. Eco-epidemiological changes in some regions of the country have led to a successful dissemination of the palm-tree Attalea butyracea and a possible adaptation of the primary vector of Chagas' disease to human settlements. These facts might increase both vector-human contact and human infection with different potentials T. cruzi genotypes and make therefore necessary a study to disclose Panamanian T. cruzi make-up. In this study, 71 T. cruzi isolates from Rhodnius pallescens were analyzed using mini-exon gene and sequence-characterized amplified region markers. The analyzed strains were T. cruzi lineage I. This finding along with prior results indicates that T. cruzi I is the principal genotype circulating in both sylvatic and domestic/peridomestic cycles and consequently responsible for the disease in the country.