Pre-Columbian Chagas disease in Brazil: Trypanosoma cruzi I in the archaeological remains of a human in Peruaçu Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
; 103(5): 514-516, Aug. 2008. ilus
Article
en En
| LILACS
| ID: lil-491973
Biblioteca responsable:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
We evaluated the presence and distribution of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in a mummy presenting with megacolon that was dated as approximately 560 ± 40 years old. The mummy was from the Peruaçu Valley in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. All samples were positive for T. cruzi minicircle DNA, demonstrating the presence and broad dissemination of the parasite in this body. From one sample, a mini-exon gene fragment was recovered and characterized by sequencing and was found to belong to the T. cruzi I genotype. This finding suggests that T. cruzi I infected humans during the pre-Columbian times and that, in addition to T. cruzi infection, Chagas disease in Brazil most likely preceded European colonization.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
LILACS
Asunto principal:
Paleopatología
/
Trypanosoma cruzi
/
Momias
/
Enfermedad de Chagas
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Megacolon
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
America do sul
/
Brasil
Idioma:
En
Año:
2008
Tipo del documento:
Article