Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis, Sympatric Zoonoses Present in Human from Rural Communities of Venezuela.

Purpose: Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. coexist in several endemic areas, and there are few studies of Chagas disease and leishmaniasis coinfection worldwide; for this reason, the objective of this work was to determine the Chagas disease and leishmaniasis coinfection in several rural communities co-endemic for these diseases.

Methods: A total of 1107 human samples from six co-endemic rural communities of Cojedes state, Venezuela, were analyzed.

Infections and Coinfections by Trypanosomatid Parasites in a Rural Community of Venezuela.

Introduction: Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma rangeli and Leishmania spp. are parasites that coexist in several endemic areas. The identification of these parasites in hosts is important for the control programs.

Evaluation of commercial kits for the immunological and molecular diagnosis of Chagas disease in endemic areas of Venezuela.

Introduction: The sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic techniques for Chagas disease depend largely on the antigens and targets used and on the immune response and characteristics of the infection of the population where it is applied, hence the need for evaluation of the diagnostic techniques available in a given area. So, the objective of this work was to evaluate two commercial kits for the immunological and molecular diagnosis of Chagas disease in endemic areas of Venezuela.

Methods: The evaluated kits were: Chagas ELISA IgG+IgM® and Speed Oligo Chagas® (Vircell®, Granada, Spain).

Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in false negative samples of collected triatomines, xenodiagnosis material, and biopsies of experimentally infected animals.

Direct test over the gut material from triatomine vectors and xenodiagnosis over mammalian hosts are classical techniques for Trypanosoma cruzi parasitological diagnosis. Nevertheless, negative results can be a source of uncertainty. Experimental models have allowed evaluating the tissue invasion of different strains of T.

Characterization and evaluation of three new recombinant antigens of Taenia solium for the immunodiagnosis of cysticercosis.

Cysticerci of Taenia solium cause cysticercosis, with neurocysticercosis (NCC) as the major pathology. Sensible and specific recombinant antigens would be an source of antigen for immunodiagnosis. The objective of this work was the molecular characterization and evaluation, of three news recombinant antigens (TsF78, TsP43 and TsC28), obtained by screening of a Taenia solium cDNA library.

Utility of a Fluid Library with Samples of Humans, Reservoirs and Vectors Collected in Filter Paper, for Retrospective Diagnosis of American Trypanosomiasis in Endemic Areas of Venezuela.

Introduction: We define a fluid library as a library of samples of different biological fluids (from humans, animals or vectors) collected and properly stored on filter paper, which allows retrospective studies, especially of diagnosis or detection of infectious agents in these samples, using different techniques. The objective of this work was the retrospective diagnosis of American trypanosomiasis by PCR in a Venezuelan endemic area using a fluid library.

Methods: A fluid library with samples that had been collected on filter paper, 5 years ago, was used for the detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA.

Molecular diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi/Leishmania spp. coinfection in domestic, peridomestic and wild mammals of Venezuelan co-endemic areas.

American trypanosomiasis and leishmaniases are diseases caused by protozoans of the Trypanosomatidae family. In Venezuela, although several endemic foci of both diseases coincide, there are no reports of coinfection in mammals. The molecular diagnosis of the coinfection T.

Transmission of porcine cysticercosis in the Portuguesa state of Venezuela.

The aim of this study was to assess transmission of Taenia solium cysticercosis in Palmarito Arriba, a small village in the rural area of the Portuguesa state of Venezuela, through (1) an evaluation of T. solium transmission risk factors present in the community and (2) serological detection of the secreted metacestode HP10 antigen (HP10 Ag) and of anti-metacestode antibodies in sera from rural pigs. Risk factors associated with transmission of cysticercosis were the following: 100% (23/23) of the households lacked piped water, 87.

Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features of toxocariasis in school children from Aragua State, Venezuela.

Background: Toxocariasis is a widespread zoonosis caused by canine and feline Toxocara spp. In Venezuela, seroepidemiological studies in Aragua State have been carried out only in preschool children. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-Toxocara spp.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of toxocariasis in preschool children in Aragua state, Venezuela.

Background: Toxocariasis is a widespread zoonotic disease caused by the nematode Toxocara canis. In Venezuela, the magnitude of the disease is unknown and seroepidemiological studies have not been previously carried out in Aragua state.

Methods: A cross-sectional field study was conducted in eight preschools in three municipalities from Aragua state in Venezuela.

Genetic variability of Trypanosoma cruzi TcI isolates from rural and urban areas of Venezuela.

Background & Objectives: Several studies have demonstrated genetic heterogeneity in populations of Trypanosoma cruzi that allowed the identification of six different discrete typing units (DTU) classified as TcI, TcII, TcIII, TcIV, TcV and TcVI. Furthermore, some characterization studies have described genetic variability within TcI isolates from endemic regions. The objective of the present study was to analyze Venezuelan T.

[Comparing two protocols of DNA extraction of Trypanosoma cruzi cultured in axenic medium].

Objectives: To compare two extraction protocols of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA for use in DNA amplification of kinetoplast minicircles (kDNA) through the technique of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Materials And Methods: Epimastigotes of T. cruzi were cultured in axenic conditions and masses from 1.

[Standardization of a direct agglutination test for the immunodiagnosis of Chagas disease].

Introduction: Chagas' disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and its immunological diagnosis is mainly based on the detection of antibodies against T. cruzi using tests such as the ELISA, the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and the indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT). The main disadvantage of the IHAT is the need to prepare sheep erythrocytes, whose availability is limited and they have a short duration once prepared.

[Comparison between immunological and molecular techniques for the diagnosis of Chagas disease].

Introduction: Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease involves an acute and chronic phases. The diagnosis has limitations, both in parasitological and immunological techniques.

Diagnostic epitope variability within Taenia solium 8 kDa antigen family: implications for cysticercosis immunodetection.

To study diagnostic epitopes within the Taenia solium 8 kDa antigen family, six overlapping synthetic peptides from an 8 kDa family member (Ts8B2) were synthesized and evaluated by ELISA and MABA with sera from patients with neurocysticercosis (NCC), from infected pigs and from rabbits immunized with recombinant Ts8B2 protein. The pre-immune rabbit sera and the Ts8B2 recombinant protein served as negative and positive controls, respectively. A similar analysis was done with the already described antigenic peptides from another member of the 8 kDa family, highly similar to Ts8B2, the CyDA antigen.

Evidence that active transmission of porcine cysticercosis occurs in Venezuela.

There is a paucity of quantitative data on the status of porcine cysticercosis in Venezuela, information which is essential for understanding the level of disease transmission. This study was, therefore, conducted in a typical small rural community in Yaracuy State, Venezuela, where previous cases of human Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis had been reported and where the free-ranging pig management practices and the lack of rudimentary sanitary facilities indicated an obvious risk for transmission of the disease. Serum samples from 52 village pigs were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for anti-cysticercal antibodies (Ab-ELISA), using T.

Evidence for high seroprevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis in individuals from three rural communities in Venezuela.

A serological study was undertaken in 1998 to evaluate levels of Taenia solium cysticercosis in 3 rural Venezuelan communities. Infection with viable metacestodes was diagnosed with a trapping enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects a secreted product of viable parasites. Anti-metacestode antibodies were assayed by ELISA using T.