Geographical Distribution of Trypanosoma cruzi Genotypes in Venezuela

<p>Chagas disease is caused by a protozoan parasite called<br>Trypanosoma cruzi. T. cruzi infects a wide variety of<br>mammal species in Latin America as well as man, and is<br>spread by multiple species of blood sucking triatomine<br>insect vectors. The presence of genetic diversity in T. cruzi<br>in the Americas is well established, with six different major<br>genetic types in circulation. The genetic diversity of T. cruzi<br>in Venezuela is relatively poorly understood. In this work<br>we present the results from the genotyping of over seven<br>hundred isolates from 17 of the 24 states. Our dataset<br>comprises strains isolated from wild and domestic animals,<br>several species of triatomine vector, as well as from human<br>Chagas disease cases, including those associated with oral<br>transmission of T. cruzi. Amongst other findings, our data<br>reveal a surprisingly high frequency of atypical genotypes<br>in humans, particularly TcIV, which has rarely been<br>reported. We evaluate our findings in the context of T.<br>cruzi diversity elsewhere in the Americas, and assess the<br>impact they have on the future of Chagas disease control<br>in Venezuela.