LAUSR

The mechanisms of infection and dispersion of Trypanosoma cruzi among animals, especially in the sylvatic environment, are still not entirely clear. Therefore, various aspects of the transmission dynamics of this parasite in the sylvatic environment are still unknown. T. cruzi is a parasite with a great biological and genetic diversity that infects a wide variety of hosts, therefore, the transmission cycles of this parasite are complex. The objective of this study was to determine T. cruzi infection rate and analyze the genetic variability of the discrete typing units (DTU) of the parasite in three non-human primate species (Alouatta palliata, Alouatta pigra, and Ateles geoffroyi) in southeastern Mexico. A total of one hundred sixty-four serum samples (42 samples of A. pigra, 41 samples of A. palliata (free-ranging) and 81 samples of A. geoffroyi (in managed care)) were analyzed for the detection of anti-T. cruzi antibodies by ELISA assays. Infection rate was 23.39% for A. palliata, 21.40% for A. pigra and 16.27% in A. geoffroyi. The presence of infection and the molecular characterization of the strains were analyzed by PCR, and the identification of DTUs was performed by real-time PCR coupled to high resolution fusion (qPCR-HRM). Different DTUs (TcI, TcII, TcIII, TcV and TcVI) were found in the analyzed monkeys. In addition, infection of monkeys was not associated with age or gender, but it was associated with the species. This study makes it clear that the risk of infection is present in the study area and that the different DTUs of the parasite can coexist in the same habitat, indicating that T. cruzi infection in the study area is very complex and involves many ecological factors. However; there is a need for long-term studies of host-parasite interactions to provide a solid understanding of the ecology of these species and to understand the dispersion strategies of T. cruzi.