Identification of trypanosomes isolated from reduviidae from north Chile

Examination of 54 Triatoma infestans from a village near the European Southern Observatory La Silla in Chile and of 9 Triatoma spinolai from the territory of the observatory showed that 10 T. infestans were infected with trypanosomatids. Mice were infected with in vitro cultures initiated with five different trypanosomatid isolates and treated with the immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide to increase the parasitemia of the flagellates. Evidence of the presence of T. cruzi was provided by a comparative biometrical analysis of blood trypomastigotes and the occurrence of intracellular amastigotes. Three methods for further identification were used: examination of kDNA ultrastructure, disc electrophoresis of soluble proteins and the Aaptos papillata II lectin induced agglutination. We obtained the following results for all isolates: (1) presence of a central band of the kDNA; (2) T. cruzi specific double bands of the protein patterns; (3) positive reaction with Aaptos papillata II. No differences between the five isolates from Chile and T. cruzi or T. cruzi-like strains from other countries could be observed. Based on these results an infection of the bugs with T. rangeli and T. conorhini could be excluded.