Biological Characterization ofTrypanosoma cruziStocks from Chilean Insect Vectors

Update on Chagas' disease in Mexico

“…However, the relationship between genotypes and biological characteristics such as infectivity and virulence is still debated and not clearly understood. [57][58][59] The direct assessment of infectivity and virulence of Mexican strains in vitro and in vivo also indicated an important variability between strains, but their overall virulence appears comparable to that found in strains from other regions [55][56] Barrera-Perez, unpublished results). These observations appear to point out the existence of T. cruzi strains in Mexico well able to induce chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy.…”

Relationship between biological behaviour and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA profiles of Trypanosoma cruzi strains

“…However, the characterization of T. cruzi strains by measuring of biological parameters, such as growth kinetics in axenic liquid medium, in vitro metacyclogenesis, parasitemias and mortality rates in mice, infection of cultured cells (Gonzalez et al 1995, Lauria-Pires et al 1997, Lopez-Olmos et al 1998, Solari et al 1998, Almeida-de-Faria et al 1999 follow nowadays applying to knowledge of diversity Chagas disease. The correlation found by us between RAPD profiles and biological behaviour of T. cruzi strains confirms the importance of the biological analysis, and this is the main aim of this paper.…”

Trypanosoma cruzi Genotypes in Mepraia gajardoi from Wild Ecotopes in Northern Chile

“…Lineages of T. cruzi found in M. gajardoi in Rio Seco and San Marcos differ substantially from those found in Corazones, Camarones, and Vitor. A high prevalence of Tc VI is found in ecotope 2, which is an identical lineage to the T. cruzi clone V195 isolated in this area and used as probe, 22 and other T. cruzi stocks circulating in the highlands of San Pedro de Atacama at 23 S as described. 23,24 Previous studies of T. cruzi lineages in northern Chile showed that Tc V was found in humans, whereas Tc I and Tc VI were found in T. infestans.…”