Abstract

Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The cycle of this parasite includes blood-sucking insects as vectors (triatomines), as well as mammals and reptiles. Mepraia spp. are triatomines that transmit T. cruzi in the wild cycle of Chile. This study aims to detect T. cruzi in the blood of the lizard Microlophus atacamensis, endemic to a coastal island of the Atacama Desert characterized by a high prevalence of T. cruzi in triatomines and low abundance of mammals. Our findings reveal that M. atacamensis lizards are infected with T. cruzi. These results are essential to understanding the life cycle of T. cruzi in this particular island of the Atacama Desert and provide new knowledge to the epidemiology of Chagas disease. © 2025 by the authors.