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In the Americas, 8 million people are infected with Chagas disease, and an additional 90 million people are at risk for infection. Little is known about the role bats play in the sylvatic transmission cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite causing Chagas disease. Here, we captured bats in the villages of Palmiche, Pachacutec, Nuevo San Martin, and Mayuriaga located in the Datem del Marañon Province in Loreto, Peru. Venous blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture or from the upper extremities, and trypanosomatids were identified by microscopy and molecularly. We collected blood samples from 121 bats on filter paper for molecular studies and 111 slides for microscopic examination of thin and thick blood smears from 16 different bat species. The prevalence of trypanosomatids in all bats species was 34.7% (42/121) and the prevalence of T. cruzi was 4.1% (5/121). In hematophagous bat species, the prevalence of trypanosomatids and T. cruzi was 36.9% (27/73) and 2.7% (2/73), respectively. In non-hematophagous bats, the prevalences of trypanosomatids and T. cruzi were 31.2% (15/48) and 6.2% (3/48), respectively. Also, we confirm the presence of T. cruzi in salivary glands of hematophagous bats Diaemus youngi. These results suggest a sylvatic cycle of trypanosomatid transmission in which bats may harbor infectious T. cruzi parasites that could be transmitted to humans via hematophagous bat bites or salivary contamination by non-hematophagous bats of vegetables consumed by humans.

Sr Editor, en Perú la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo vigente establece que el empleador es responsable de proteger la salud de sus trabajadores mediante actividades como los exámenes médico ocupacionales (EMO), que según la Resolución Ministerial (RM) 312-2011 del Ministerio de Salud (MINSA) son obligatorios para cada actividad económica (1). Si bien esta RM ha implicado un avance en la salud ocupacional peruana, presenta ciertas falencias con respecto al tamizaje de tuberculosis, que podrían estar impidiendo un diagnóstico certero en la población vulnerable., Mr. Editor, in Peru, the current Occupational Health and Safety Law establishes that the employer is responsible for protecting the health of its workers through activities such as occupational medical examinations (EMO), which according to the Ministerial Resolution (RM) 312-2011 of the Ministry of Health (MINSA) are mandatory for each economic activity (1). Although this MRI has implied an advance in Peruvian occupational health, it has certain shortcomings with respect to tuberculosis screening, which could be preventing an accurate diagnosis in the vulnerable population.

During 2010-2013, we recruited 16 persons with confirmed Mayaro virus infection in the Peruvian Amazon to prospectively follow clinical symptoms and serologic response over a 12-month period. Mayaro virus infection caused long-term arthralgia in more than half, similar to reports of other arthritogenic alphaviruses.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a clinicoradiologic entity associated with diverse medical conditions. It is very important to properly recognize this condition because early diagnosis and treatment usually result in its complete resolution, whereas a delay in giving an adequate therapy may lead to permanent neurologic sequelae. A case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a female patient with an overlap syndrome of systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis is presented here.