The following message just appeared on ProMed. Does any reader of
this discussion group know anything more about this organism - who
the groups were in Kenya, the United States, Brazil or England that
were consulted, for instance? Or what methods of identification were
tried?
Graham
--
C. Graham Clark, Ph.D.
Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases,
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, England, G.B.
Tel: ++44-171-927-2351
FAX: ++44-171-636-8739
e-mail: g.clark at lshtm.ac.uk
----------------------------
TRYPANOSOME, NEW - ARGENTINA
****************************
A ProMED-mail post
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 1998 22:22:08 -0500
From: "Dave Coder" <dcoder at u.washington.edu>, translation
Source: El Clarin, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 12 December 1997 [Excerpts]
A new parasite affects two zoo employees. It is found in numerous
animals in the Mendoza zoo, and in dogs, cats, and horses.
Scientists still can't identify it.
--
An undescribed parasite that has characteristics similar to the one
that causes Chagas' disease, may be the cause of the deaths of
animals in the [Mendoza] provincial zoo. Recently, links have been
discovered that implicate the parasite in illnesses in zoo employees
as well as in cats, dogs and horses in greater Mendoza.
Local scientists revealed last night [11 December 1997] that from May
until now [12 December 1997], one giraffe, 5 alpacas, and 2 llamas,
and also one mare that was housed outside the zoo, have died. In all
cases there was a parasite in the lymphatics in addition to cardiac
lesions, and acute anemia -- all symptoms compatible with parasitic
disease.
Investigators do not know if the disease was imported along with a
giraffe from the United States that died suddenly, or if the disease
originated in Mendoza. The provincial government admitted that the
parasite remains unidentified. They clarified that the infected zoo
employees do not have clinical symptoms -- they are disease-free at
the moment -- and are not being treated, but are only undergoing
tests.
In May, following the confusion about what might have caused the death
of mthe giraffe, provincial authorities closed the zoo to the public.
They reopened it 20 days later without explanation other than they
were "continuing the investigation."
The Minister of Health and Social Action, Pablo Marquez, acknowledged
that the trypanosome discovered in Mendoza still has not been
classified. Non-government investigators Roberto Mera, Silvia Diana
Brengio and Jose Luis Sanchez affirmed that none of the universities
consulted by them in Argentina and Kenya, the United States and
Brazil, could "give a first and last name" to the parasite.
Yesterday, they sent samples to England.
One of the theories proposed by the minister is that the trypanosome is
not pathogenic and, as such, does not cause disease. The Federation
of Veterinary Colleges and Councils of Veterinarians of the Republic
of Argentina observed that this is "a nerve-racking situation because
of the inherent risk to public health"...
It is estimated that most of the animals in the zoo are carriers of the
parasite. The President of the Veterinary College of Mendoza and Dean of
the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Juan Agustin Mazza University,
Alberto Duarte, told this newspaper that they have succeeded in finding
the parasite in guanacos, lions, an Indian buffalo, llamas, goats
from the Island of Juan Fernandez and Somalian sheep, but not in
monkeys. Some veterinarians suspect that one or more of the animals
brought in September of 1994 from the United States may have been
carriers of the strange trypanosome. Among these animals were two
giraffes. The male died a few days after a fall, and the female died
May 2nd of [1997].
The death of the last giraffe was sudden. Scientists of the Faculty of
Medicine of Cuyo National University found "something that wasn't
normal" in the animal's blood, later identifying it as a trypanosome
that did not match any known type, but was morphologically similar to
the one that causes Chagas disease.
--
ProMED-mail
e-mail: promed at usa.healthnet.org
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