Survival of Trypanosoma cruzi in sugar cane used to prepare juice

Abstract

SUMMARYChagas disease can be transmitted to man by many different means, including contact with infected triatomine feces, blood transfusion, laboratory accidents, organ transplants, and congenital or oral routes. The latter mode has received considerable attention recently.In this assay, we evaluate the survival of Trypanosoma cruzi contaminating sugar cane used to prepare juice, as well as the viability and capacity for infection by the parasite after recovery. Thirty triatomines were contaminated with T. cruzi Y strain and 45 days later pieces of sugar cane were contaminated with the intestinal contents of the insects. The pieces were ground at different intervals after contamination (time = 0, 1, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours) and the juice extracted and analyzed. Different methods were used to show T. cruzi in the juice: direct analysis, hematocrit tube centrifugation and QBC, and experimental inoculation in 47 female BALB/c mice (five control mice and seven mice for each interval examined (five inoculated orally and two intraperitoneally). Positive results were found using the direct analysis and QBC methods for juice prepared up to 12 hours after initial contamination. However, by the centrifugation technique, positivity was found only up to four hours after contamination of the sugar cane. Inoculated animals showed parasitemia during a 14 day observation period, demonstrating the high survival rate of T. cruzi in sugar cane.

Large Urban Outbreak of Orally Acquired Acute Chagas Disease at a School in Caracas, Venezuela

“…This sequence of events could explain the relatively high attack rate observed among school personal (15.2%) and the significant decrease in the attack rate among students in the ninth grade (5.1%), compared with that among kindergarten students (23.1%). The significant difference in the attack rates found between students of the morning (22.5%) and afternoon shifts (2.4%) suggests that the concentration of the inoculum may have been different for both groups, perhaps reflecting a steady decrease in the survival of infecting metacyclic trypomastigotes [31].…”

Chagas Disease by Oral Transmission: Cardiovascular Manifestations

“…In this essay they demonstrated the high survival rate of T. cruzi in sugar cane by direct analysis (up to 12 hours), hematocrit tube centrifugation test (up to 4 hours) and acridine orange Quantitative Buffy Coat, (up to 12 hours) and experimental inoculation in BALB/c mice (showed parasitemia during 14 day observation period) [3].…”

“…Cardoso et al [3] evaluate the survival of Trypanosoma cruzi contaminating sugar cane used to prepare juice, and the viability and capacity for infection by the parasite after recovery. In this essay they demonstrated the high survival rate of T. cruzi in sugar cane by direct analysis (up to 12 hours), hematocrit tube centrifugation test (up to 4 hours) and acridine orange Quantitative Buffy Coat, (up to 12 hours) and experimental inoculation in BALB/c mice (showed parasitemia during 14 day observation period) [3].…”

Neurological Manifestations in Chagas Disease without Cardiac Dysfunction: Correlation between Dysfunction of the Parasympathetic Nervous System and White Matter Lesions in the Brain

“…Since the 1980s, the incidence of Chagas disease is declining in Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. In 2003 Brazil was considered free of new cases of Chagas disease, 11 but there are still some cases of oral transmission, especially in small outbreaks 10,12,13 . Nevertheless, as the latent period of the disease is quite long, Central and South America will have Chagas disease patients for at least some decades more.…”