For our international clients: Our DRY CARDS let you mail blood samples to Zoologix easily and cheaply from anywhere. Samples are small, light and stable at room temperature for several weeks.

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Zoologix performs zoo and wildlife tests for...

African swine fever

Aleutian disease

Borrelia burgdorferi

Campylobacter

Canine distemper

Canine parvovirus

Chytrid fungus

Classical swine fever

Clostridium difficile

Clostridium screen

Cryptosporidium

E. coli O157:H7

E. coli panel

Ehrlichia risticii

Encephalomyocarditis

Enterovirus

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)

Feline panleukopenia

Giardia

Helicobacter

Hepatitis E

Japanese encephalitis

Klebsiella

Lawsonia intracellularis

Listeria monocytogenes

Lyme disease

Mink enteritis virus

Monkeypox

Mycobacteria

Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Mycoplasma screen

Neospora caninum

Porcine cytomegalovirus

Porcine lymphotropic herpesvirus

Porcine parvovirus

Potomac horse fever

Pseudorabies

Rabies

Reovirus screen

Rotavirus screen

Salmonella

Sarcocystis neurona

St. Louis encephalitis

Strep pneumoniae

Swine vesicular disease

Toxoplasma gondii

Treponema pallidum

Trypanosoma cruzi

Trypanosoma evansi

Vesicular stomatitis

West Nile virus

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

...and more -- see our assay menu for a complete listing of zoo and wildlife assays.


Trypanosoma cruzi PCR test
wildlife and zoo assay data sheet

Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas' disease)

Test code:
X0010 - Ultrasensitive qualitative detection of Trypanosoma cruzi by real time polymerase chain reaction

Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite, causes Chagas' disease (“American trypanosomiasis”). It can be transmitted through arthropod vectors,such as Reduviidae, particularly Triatoma spp. (assassin bugs), which occur naturally in Central and South America. These insects transmit the infectious stages of the protozoa through their feces, although vertical transmission of T. cruzi has been shown to occur (Azogue et al., 1985; Miles, 1972). Various mammals, including human beings, are the natural hosts of Triatoma spp. as well as T. cruzi. Wild-caught New World monkeys from Central or South America are often infected with Trypanosoma species, including T. cruzi. Old World monkeys, including some macaques (eg Macaca mulatta, Macaca silenus, Macaca nigra) and lemurs (eg Lemur catta), are also susceptible when translocated into the geographic range of reduviids or when experimentally infected.

The infection of nonhuman primates may remain subclinical for years or may infrequently produce a variety of clinical effects such as anorexia, dyspnea, fever, leukocytosis, lymphadenopathy and myocarditis. In human beings, reactivation of Chagas' disease in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been reported since the early 1990s. The clinical manifestations of reactivated Chagas' disease are severe central nervous system (CNS) alterations and cardiomyopathy. Trypomastigotes of T. cruzi, observed by direct microscopic examination of blood smears, characterize the acute phase of infection and confirm Chagas' disease reactivation. Reactivation of T. cruzi has also been reported in rhesus monkeys experimentally infected with SIV.

In primate colonies, T. cruzi can be propagated by blood-to-blood exposure, sexual activity, and transplacental transmission. Animal handlers and laboratory staff who handle blood and tissue from infected New World monkeys are at risk for acquiring Chagas' disease via accidental exposure.

Traditional laboratory diagnosis of T. cruzi relies on blood smear observation or serological detection. Unfortunately, these methods lack sensitivity and specificity. PCR detection of this parasite offers significant advantages over traditional methods in terms of both specificity and sensitivity (Ndao et al., 2000; Gutierrez et al., 2004).

Utilities:

  • Confirm the disease causing agent
  • Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical diagnosis of T. cruzi infection.
  • Ensure that animal groups and populations are free of T. cruzi
  • Early prevention of spread of this parasite among a population
  • Minimize human exposure to this parasite

References:
Azogue, E., La Fuente, C. and Darras, C. (1985) Congenital Chagas' disease in Bolivia: epidemiological aspects and pathological findings. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 79:176-180.
Gutierrez, R., Angulo, V.M., Tarazona, Z., Britto, C. and Fernandes, O. (2004) Comparison of four serological tests for the diagnosis of Chagas disease in a Colombian endemic area. Parasitology. 129:439-444.
Miles, M.A. (1972) Trypanosoma cruzi-milk transmission of infection and immunity from mother to young. Parasitology 65:1-9.
Ndao, M., Kelly, N., Normandin, D., Maclean, J.D., Whiteman, A., Kokoskin, E., Arevalo, I. and Ward, B.J. (2000) Trypanosoma cruzi infection of squirrel monkeys: comparison of blood smear examination, commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and polymerase chain reaction analysis as screening tests for evaluation of monkey-related injuries. Comp. Med. 50:658-665.

Specimen requirement: 1 ml whole blood in EDTA (purple top) or ACD (yellow top) tube, or 1 ml plasma, serum or CSF, shipped overnight at room temperature; or 1 ml frozen plasma, serum or CSF.

For specimen types other than those listed here, please call to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.

For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information.

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Qualitative real time PCR

Normal range: Nondetected

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