Presence of trypanosomatids, with emphasis on Leishmania, in Rodentia and Didelphimorphia mammals of a rural settlement in the central Amazon region

BACKGROUND

Trypanosomatids are widespread and cause diseases - such as trypanosomiasis, sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis - in animals and humans. These diseases occur in both rural and urban regions due to unplanned growth and deforestation. Thus, wild and synanthropic reservoir hosts living in residential areas are risk factors.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the diversity of small mammals (rodents and marsupials), and the occurrence of trypanosomatids, especially Leishmania, in the rural settlement of Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas.

METHODS

Animals were collected using Sherman, Tomahawk, and Pitfall traps along 16 trails in four landscapes: continuous forest, forest with planting, planting, and peridomiciliar. Leishmania sp. was detected in liver samples by polymerase chain reaction targeting kDNA.

FINDINGS

Diversity was higher in forests with planting and lower around residences. In total, 135 mammals (81 rodents and 54 marsupials covering 14 genera) were captured. Rodents presented infection rates (IR) of 74% and marsupials of 48%. Rodents in domicile landscapes presented a higher IR (92.9%), while marsupials showed a higher IR in forests (53.3%).

MAIN CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest high prevalence of trypanosomatids across 12 mammalian genera possibly involved as reservoir hosts in the enzootic transmission of leishmaniasis in the Amazon’s rural, peridomiciliar landscape.

Key words:
Leishmania; Trypanosoma; reservoirs; rodent; marsupials; anthropisation