Past and present of chagas disease in Northern Chile

Abstract

Contemporary understandings of the epidemiology of Chagas disease as well as it's clinical features, together with knowledge of the insect vectors and genotypes of the causal agent Trypanosoma cruzi are important pieces of information for comparisons with cases in the past. Evidence indicates that 4,000 years ago in northern Chile cases displaying digestive symptoms or 'megacolon' were frequent. Recent information on the dispersion of the domestic insect vector Triatoma infestans allows us to conclude that in the past only the wild Mepraia gajardoi insect vector transmitted Trypanosoma cruzi in its native area. This information together with current knowledge about Trypanosoma cruzi circulating in the area and transmitted by Mepraia gajardoi will be important to establish possible host-parasite association with Chagas disease pathology.