Epidemiology of american trypoanosoma

Annals of Tropical Medicine &Parasitology,

Vol. 101, No.7,

1-6 (2007)

SHORT COMMUNICATION
Epidemiology Peru of American trypanosomiasis in northern

In recent years, the World HealthOrganization has had notable success in controlling and interrupting the vectorial transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi, via the so-called Southem Cone Initiative, in Argentina, Brazi1, Bolivia, Chi1e,Paraguay and Uruguay (Moncayo and Ortiz Yanine, 2006). In Peru, as a result of this success and the recommendations and support ofthe World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization andCanadian Agency for Intemational Development (CIDA), much epidemiological and entomological research, with direct relevance to the control of both domestic and non-domestic species of triatomine bug, iscurrently in progress. Control strategies are being successfully developed or adapted to match the entomological conditions, and the impact of Chagas disease on public health is being re-assessed (Guhl etal., 1999). Most of the focus has been on the south of the country, however, where there are many domestic Triatoma infestans. Although the disease was once considered to have a serious impact onlyin the south of Peru, and not in the north, where there are no Tri. infestans, there is now growing evidence that the disease is a national and not just a southem problem. Peri-domestic or sylvaticTri. carrioni, Panstrongylus chinai, P. herreri and Rhodnius ecuadoriensisin northem Peru are sometimes naturally infected with Try. cruzi and often invade dwellings in many localities (Cáceres et al. ,2002; Cuba Cuba et al. , 2002) .In addition, acute cases of Chagas disease have been detected in the north-eastem region, and blood donors who are seropositive for Try. cruzi infection have been foundin all regions (Anon., 2004). There is therefore @ 2007The Liverpool School TropicalMedicine of DOI: 10.1179/136485907X229031

now a clear need for Peru to expand the programme of research and...