title: The lesions and prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in opossums and armadillos from southern Louisiana.
abstract: The prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in 48 opossums and 98 armadillos from southern Louisiana was studied. Sixteen opossums (33.3%) and 1 armadillo (1.1%) were positive for T. cruzi by blood culture. Hearts from 45 opossums and the tissues from the 1 blood culture-positive armadillo were available for histopathological examination. Although histopathology revealed T. cruzi pseudocysts in 6 opossums, 2 were not positive on blood culture. Therefore, 18 opossums (37.5%) were positive for T. cruzi. Twenty-two of 45 opossums had histological evidence of myocarditis. No lesion typical of infection with T. cruzi was observed in the armadillo tissues. These results substantiate that the opossum is a current reservoir host of T. cruzi infection in southern Louisiana and that armadillos may be of relatively minor importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca 14853.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Klei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001135:Armadillos / Q000469:parasitology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D008145:Louisiana; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000209:etiology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009893:Opossums / Q000469:parasitology*