Ndao M, Kelly N, Normandin D, Maclean J D, Whiteman A, Kokoskin E, Arevalo I, Ward B J
McGill Center for Tropical Diseases, Montreal General Hospital, Canada.
Comp Med. 2000 Dec;50(6):658-65.
Wild-caught New World monkeys (NWM) from Central or South America are often infected with Trypanosoma species, including T. cruzi. In humans, T. cruzi causes Chagas' disease. Even in closed monkey colonies, T. cruzi can be propagated by blood-to-blood exposure, sexual activity, and transplacental transmission. Animal handlers and laboratory staff who deal with blood and tissues from infected NWM are at riskfor acquiring Chagas' disease via accidental exposure.
We screened 162 blood samples from wild-caught Saimiri sp. monkeys for Trypanosoma species infections by use of blood smear examination, ELISA, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Blood samples from 19 employees with recent history of monkey-associated injuries also were tested.
Six percent (10/162) of the monkey samples were T. cruzi positive on the basis of blood smear examination results, 10.4% (17/162) were positive by ELISA results, and 26.5% (43/162) were positive by PCR results. Other organisms identified by PCR analysis included T. rangeli in two animals, Plasmodium spp. in two animals (P. malariae confirmed by PCR results) and microfilariae in one animal (morphologically, Mansonella perstans). Evidence of trypanosome infection was not found in the 19 employee samples on the basis of results of any of the three aforementioned tests.
Close attention must be paid to worker safety where wild-caught NWM are used. The PCR analysis has a clear advantage over conventional techniques (ELISA, blood smear) for screening NWM for trypanosome infections during quarantine and after employee injury.
从中美洲或南美洲野生捕获的新大陆猴（NWM）常感染锥虫属物种，包括克氏锥虫。在人类中，克氏锥虫可导致恰加斯病。即使在封闭的猴群中，克氏锥虫也可通过血液接触、性行为和经胎盘传播进行传播。处理受感染新大陆猴血液和组织的动物饲养员和实验室工作人员有因意外接触而感染恰加斯病的风险。
我们通过血涂片检查、酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）和聚合酶链反应（PCR）分析，对162份从野生捕获的松鼠猴属猴子采集的血样进行锥虫属物种感染筛查。还对19名近期有与猴子相关受伤史的员工的血样进行了检测。
根据血涂片检查结果，6%（10/162）的猴样本克氏锥虫呈阳性，ELISA结果显示10.4%（17/162）呈阳性，PCR结果显示26.5%（43/162）呈阳性。PCR分析鉴定出的其他生物体包括两只动物体内的兰氏锥虫、两只动物体内的疟原虫属（PCR结果证实为三日疟原虫）和一只动物体内的微丝蚴（形态学上为常现曼森线虫）。根据上述三种检测中的任何一种结果，在19名员工的样本中均未发现锥虫感染证据。
在使用野生捕获的新大陆猴的地方，必须密切关注工作人员的安全。在对新大陆猴进行检疫期间以及员工受伤后，PCR分析在筛查锥虫感染方面比传统技术（ELISA、血涂片）具有明显优势。
