Enfermedad de Chagas en poblaciones prehistóricas del norte de Chile

Abstract

RESUMENLa enfermedad de Chagas es producida por el parásito Trypanosoma cruzi, el cual afecta tanto a seres humanos como a animales, en particular mamíferos marsupiales y placentarios. Las vías de transmisión son diversas, siendo una de las más importantes la vía vectorial, en la que participan insectos infectados con este parásito, animales y humanos. En este artículo de revisión discutimos los postulados sobre la vía de transmisión oral, los hallazgos de T. cruzi en momias de América y especialmente en las del norte de Chile. Presentamos además información que apunta a que la enfermedad de Chagas estuvo presente mucho antes de la conquista europea y de la construcción de viviendas de adobe. Comentamos las hipótesis sobre el vector domiciliado más importante de Sudamérica, Triatoma infestans, su antigüedad en la costa de Arica y los reportes más recientes de otros vectores silvestres. También se discute la información relacionada a la participación en el ciclo de T. cruzi de distintos mamíferos silvestres de Chile y asimismo proponemos el estudio paleoparasitológico en restos zooarqueológicos para conocer las especies de mamíferos reservorios de T. cruzi en la antigüedad.Palabras clave: enfermedad de Chagas, norte de Chile, triatominos, Trypanosoma cruzi, zooarqueología. ABSTRACTChagas diseases is produced by a parasite named Trypanosoma cruzi, that affects humans and other marsupial and placental mammals. Transmission routes are diverse, but the most important transmission is the vector route, which involves the triatomine insects, wild and domestic infected animals, and humans. Here we review the data about oral transmission route and the evidences of the etiological agent (Trypanosoma cruzi) of Chagas disease in pre-Columbian American mummies, making a critical review of the infection in northern Chile. Moreover, we comment on the hypotheses suggested in relation to the most important vector of the infection in South America Triatoma infestans, its antiquity in the Arica coast, and the recent reports about other wild infected vectors in this geographic area. The data presented along this document suggests that Chagas disease was present long before the european conquest and the construction of adobe houses in America. We also discuss the data about the involvement of wild Chilean mammals in the cycle of T. cruzi and propose that the paleoparasitologic study of zooarchaeological remains must be done in the future in order to identify ancient mammalian reservoirs of T. cruzi .

Transmissão da doença de Chagas por consumo de carne de caça: revisão sistemática

“…More evidence of CD was found in 4,000 years old mummies belonging to the primitive inhabitants of Chile and Peru, prior to the onset of the Inca civilization 22 . There is a great possibility that these primitive individuals acquired CD via the oral route, when consuming game meat 22,23 . However, the possibility of vectorial transmission cannot be ruled out 22 .…”

“…By means of polymerase chain reaction techniques, T. cruzi DNA was found in mummies of African and American primitive civilizations 23 . The oldest infection by CD in the Americas was discovered in mummies of the Chinchorro people, who lived 9,000 years ago in the Atacama Desert region, in northern Chile 22,23 . More evidence of CD was found in 4,000 years old mummies belonging to the primitive inhabitants of Chile and Peru, prior to the onset of the Inca civilization 22 .…”

“…The oldest infection by CD in the Americas was discovered in mummies of the Chinchorro people, who lived 9,000 years ago in the Atacama Desert region, in northern Chile 22,23 . More evidence of CD was found in 4,000 years old mummies belonging to the primitive inhabitants of Chile and Peru, prior to the onset of the Inca civilization 22 . There is a great possibility that these primitive individuals acquired CD via the oral route, when consuming game meat 22,23 .…”

“…There is a great possibility that these primitive individuals acquired CD via the oral route, when consuming game meat 22,23 . However, the possibility of vectorial transmission cannot be ruled out 22 . The Chinchorro people lived in caves inside rocks, and fishing and hunting were their main sources of food 22 .…”

“…Native populations had the habit of consuming meat from hunting, and this was an important source of food when animal husbandry techniques were not yet known 20 . In the American continent, wild animal meat was part of the diet of indigenous peoples and pre-Colombian civilizations [20][21][22] . Paleoparasitology studies have found that CD is a very old disease in this continent.…”