Co-infection by Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi in Didelphis marsupialis (Mammalia: Didelphimorphia) from urban areas of Ovejas, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction. The municipality of Ovejas, located in the Los Montes de María region, is an endemic focus of leishmaniasis and reports sporadic cases of Chagas disease. Although Didelphis marsupialis (the common opossum) is recognized as a rural reservoir of trypanosomatids in Colombia, its role in this particular area remains unknown.
Objetive. To evaluate the natural infection frequency of Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi in D. marsupialis with Leishmania sp. and T. cruzi from peridomestic environments in Ovejas.
Materials and methods. Between August and October 2015, opossums were captured in urban areas using Tomahawk© live traps. After morphometric evaluation, sex determination, and dental count, blood samples were obtained via cardiac puncture. These samples were used to detect IgG antibodies against Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi, amplify parasite-specific specific genetic targets, and perform in vitro isolation.
Results. A total of 26 individuals were captured (12 males and 14 females; 16 adults, 7 subadults, and 3 juveniles). Antibody prevalence was 23,08 % for Leishmania and 53,85 % for T. cruzi, with 11.54 % co-infection. Molecular infection frequency was 61.54 % for T. cruzi and 23,08 % for Leishmania spp.. One T. cruzi strain was successfully isolated and genotyped.
Conclusion. The high frequencies of single infection and co-infection suggest that D. marsupialis may act as a synanthropic host for Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi in Ovejas, indicating its potential role in maintaining domestic cycles of urban transmission.