Trypanosoma cruzi: zymodemes associated with acute and chronic Chagas' disease in central Brazil

Abstract

The clinical characteristics of acute and chronic Chagas' disease in central Brazil are described (29 acute cases and 111 chronic cases). The geographical distribution of Trypanosoma cruzi zymodemes in this region was mapped. Zymodeme (Z) 1 was identified in 12 acute cases, Z2 in 13 and repeated xenodiagnosis gave lhe same zymodeme identification. The clinical pictures of lhe Zl and Z2 acute phases were similar. Resistance to benznidazole treatment occurred after either Zl or Z2 acute infec~ions. Only 14 positive xenodiagnoses were obtained from lhe 111 chronic phase patients exammed. For 12 of these 14 patients lhe zymodeme was identified. All12 carried Z2, 10 of whom had mega involvement. There were several possible explanations for lhe failure to detect T. cruzi Zl in chronic Chagas' disease with mega syndromes: suggestions were made for follow-up investigations