Suitability of a rapid DNA isolation and amplification for detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in Triatoma infestans dry fecal spots collected on filter paper.

A rapid DNA extraction was used for T. cruzi detection in triatomines dry fecal spots collected on filter paper and analyzed by PCR. Fifty T. infestans were fed on experimentally infected Balb/C mice with high T. cruzi parasitemia and divided into five groups of ten triatomines, and 100 triatomines were infected with lower parasitemia and divided into five groups of 20 triatomines. One dry fecal spot was analyzed per group on days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 post feeding. Amplification targeted T. cruzi TCZ sequence and resulted positive from day 4 after bugs feeding in the two models (high and lower parasitemial. The rapid DNA isolation and PCR proposed are suitable for detection of T. cruzi DNA in filter paper and should be considered in field research.