Oral Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi, Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

In the Brazilian Amazon, the suspected source of infection in an outbreak of acute Chagas disease involving 10 patients was Euterpe oleracea (açaí berry) juice. Patient blood and juice samples contained Trypanosoma cruzi TcIV, indicating oral transmission of the Chagas disease agent.

Epidemiological overview of chagas disease in the state of Amazonas, from 2004 to 2014

“…When observing the age group in the young-adult phase (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39), it was presented the highest mean, differently from what the national data indicates. From 1980 to 2010, the elderly people aged 60 or older have the higher prevalence in the population that mainly covers the chronic form of CD.…”

“…19 The agencies responsible for supervising this production are public institutions of sanitary surveillance in food security, which should monitor all the productive stages, as of the orientation to the producers who harvest the fruits, in storage and transport and, finally, the good practices of hygiene in the pulp preparation. 20 Proof of the survival of the protozoan in the açaí pulp submitted to different treatments is in the preservation of the virulence of the parasite in the mixture maintained for up to 24 hours at room temperature, for 144 hours under refrigeration (4ºC) and for up to 26 hours under freezing conditions (-20ºC), which demonstrates that the transmission of this disease possible occurs under these conditions. 20 It is worth noting that T.cruzi is present in other açaí-based (Euterpe oleracea) drinks, Oenocarpus bacaba, sugarcane juice and babassu palm hearts produced in artisanal forms, and it may present two ways of transmission: metacyclic trypomastigotes and epimastigotes.…”

“…20 Proof of the survival of the protozoan in the açaí pulp submitted to different treatments is in the preservation of the virulence of the parasite in the mixture maintained for up to 24 hours at room temperature, for 144 hours under refrigeration (4ºC) and for up to 26 hours under freezing conditions (-20ºC), which demonstrates that the transmission of this disease possible occurs under these conditions. 20 It is worth noting that T.cruzi is present in other açaí-based (Euterpe oleracea) drinks, Oenocarpus bacaba, sugarcane juice and babassu palm hearts produced in artisanal forms, and it may present two ways of transmission: metacyclic trypomastigotes and epimastigotes. 21 There is the possibility of contaminating certain mammals with T. cruzi, such as marsupials, paca (Cuniculus paca), armadillo (Tolypentis tricinctus), among others, given they are all wild and used as a food source for some families, mainly those from the rural area.…”

Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi DNA Mismatch Repair Proteins Act Differently in the Response to DNA Damage Caused by Oxidative Stress

“…During a bite, eliminated parasites can enter the bloodstream when the host scratches the skin area, or through mouth mucosa, eyes and nose. Although less frequent, human infection may also happen by non-vectorial routes such as ingestion of contaminated food, blood transfusion, organ transplantation, or during pregnancy from contaminated mothers (Cevallos and Hernández, 2014;Santana et al, 2019). Circulating trypomastigotes can invade different cell types, where they replicate as intracellular replicative amastigotes that burst the cell and are released into the bloodstream with the potential to infect new cells (Brener, 1973).…”

Perfil farmacogenômico de pacientes com doença de Chagas em tratamento com benznidazol

“…As taxas de infecção após o transplante de órgãos sólidos de um doador infectado parecem ser menores para receptores de rins (0-19%) (20)(21)(22) do que para receptores de fígado (0-29%) (22,23) e receptores de coração (75-100%) (22,24). A transmissão oral foi demonstrada recentemente pelo consumo de suco não pasteurizado de Açaí na região Amazônica (25). Acidentes de laboratório representam o modo de menor frequência de transmissão (26).…”