Imaging the development of chronic Chagas disease after oral transmission.

ABSTRACT: Chagas disease is a zoonosis caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Transmission cycles are maintained by haematophagous triatomine bug vectors that carry infective T. cruzi in their faeces. Most human infections are acquired by contamination of mucosal membranes with triatomine faeces after being bitten, however, T. cruzi can be transmitted by several other routes. Oral transmission is an increasingly important aspect of Chagas disease epidemiology, typically involving food or drink products contaminated with triatomines. This has recently caused numerous outbreaks and been linked to unusually severe acute infections. The long-term impact of oral transmission on infection dynamics and disease pathogenesis is unclear. We used highly sensitive bioluminescence imaging and quanti

SUBMITTER: Lewis MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6062536 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature