title: Infectivity for mice of Trypanosoma cruzi I and II strains isolated from different hosts.
abstract: In this paper, the infectivity for mice of Trypanosoma cruzi I and II strains isolated from sylvatic animals, triatomines, and humans is determined using fresh blood examination, hemoculture, culture of macerated organs, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Six strains were considered to have low infectivity (9.1-18.2%), five medium (27.3-45.4%), and one high (100.0%). Infectivity of T. cruzi strains isolated from sylvatic animals was significantly higher than that of strains isolated from humans and triatomines (p=0.0141). No significant difference was observed between the infectivity of T. cruzi I and II strains. The parasite was detected by fresh blood examination in one strain, by hemoculture and culture of macerated organs in four strains, and by PCR in all strains. We conclude that the infectivity is related to the host from which the strains were isolated, but the infectivity is not related to the genetic group of the parasite. We also conclude that the majority of the strains studied have low and medium infectivity for mice, and that PCR is an important tool to detect T. cruzi in strains with this biological characteristic.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Parasitologia Básica, Universidade Estadual De Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bértoli
authors.forename: Miriam Hitomi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Andó
authors.forename: Max Jean
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: De Ornelas Toledo
authors.forename: Silvana Marques
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: De Araújo
authors.forename: Mônica Lúcia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017849:Animals, Inbred Strains; D001938:Brazil; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000469:parasitology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003470:Culture Media; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D048293:Didelphis / Q000469:parasitology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008853:Microscopy; D010203:Panstrongylus / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013045:Species Specificity; D014224:Triatoma / Q000469:parasitology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D016054:DNA, Protozoan