TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI IN WILD RACCOONS, OPOSSUMS, AND TRIATOMINE BUGS IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA, USA

The prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection among wild opossums and raccoons live-trapped in 6 southeast Georgia counties was determined. Epimastigotes typical of T. cruzi were observed in liver infusion tryp tose medium cultures of blood from 6 of 39 opossums (15.4%) and 12 of 54 raccoons (22.2%). Trypomastigotes (6,000/ml) were observed in a wet mount of blood from 1 of the animals, a raccoon trapped on St. Cather ines Island in Liberty County. In addition, T. cruzi parasites were ob served in the gut contents of 3 of 5 specimens of the triatomine bug T riatoma sanguisuga (Leconte) collected near human dwellings in Bulloch County. This is the first report of T. cruzi-infected triatomine bugs in Georgia.