[The oral route: an access port for Trypanosoma cruzi]

Abstract

Rats and mice were inoculated by oral route with T. cruzi from: 1. Infected mice blood, 2. Experimentally infected triatomines feces, 3. Experimentally infected alive triatomines, and 4. Free cell cultures. Mice showed to be more susceptible to the infection than rats. Mice exhibited to be infected: 30% with blood forms, 85% with triatomines feces, 75% with alive triatomines and 35% with culture forms. Rats exhibited to be infected: 10%, with blood forms, 45% with triatomines feces, 60% with alive triatomines and 25% with culture forms. In both species we observed that metacyclic trypomastigotes originated higher infection percentage than blood and culture forms. With these results we confirm that oral route is a probable way of transmission of T. cruzi and under standardized conditions, it represents a better experimental inoculation route than intraperitoneal route.