Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) lewisi in Rattus spp from La Matica, Lara State, Venezuela and the possible relationship with zoonotic diseases

Abstract

During a study carried out searching reservoir vertebrates for Leishmania spp in the area of La Matica, Lara State, Venezuela from March 1997 to October 1998, 40 specimens of Rattus spp were captured. Blood was extracted from all of them by means of cardiac puncture. Fresh blood and blood smears stained with Giemsa were examined. Of the 40 specimens studied, 22 (55%) resulted positive for the presence of Trypanosoma lewisi in blood. 63.15% of the infected animals were males (12/19), and 47.62% (10/21) females. By age, adult animals were infected in 62.96% of the cases (17/27) while young specimens were infected in 38.46% (5/13). The differences were not statistically significant. Regarding the period of capture almost all the individuals were captured during the raining season; a positive correlation between the average of the monthly rain and the number of individual captured was observed. Finally, we suggest the possible increase of the susceptibility of Rattus spp infected with T. lewisi to the infection by other species of the family Trypanosomatidae of public health importance.