- cruzi ELISA (Order code L154): Specimen requirements: 0.5 – 1.0 ml serum
- cruzi PCR (Order code 8540): Specimen requirements: 1.0 – 2.0 ml EDTA whole blood
Chagas disease is a parasitic infection caused by T. curzi, which is transmitted by triatomid insect vectors to vertebrate hosts. Natural T.cruzi infection has been reported in many non-human primates, including Macaca sp., a baboon, great apes, squirrel monkeys, owl monkeys, marmosets, tamarins, spider monkeys, woolly monkeys, cebus monkeys and uakaris. T. cruzi is commonly spread between monkeys in the wild by reduviid bugs, but it also can be spread in captive monkey colonies by blood to blood exposure, saliva, sexual activity and transplacental transmission. The infection of T. cruzi in non-human primates causes nonspecific clinical signs, such as fever, generalized edema without necrosis or hemorrhage, anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenitis and myocarditis. The diagnosis of acute infection of T. cruzi can be made by identifying parasites by microscopic examination of fresh blood or by PCR. Serological screening of T. cruzi IgG antibodies can establish prior exposure to the infection.