Chemotherapy in Cases of Trypanosoma cruzi Reinfection: Assessing for Chagas Disease Endemic Areas

ABSTRACT People living in endemic areas of Chagas disease are submitted to multiple infections during their lives. This is an important factor in the development and morbidity of the disease. In the present investigation, evaluate the treatment outcome of triple infection mice with 21SF clones compared to the parental strain and with clones were investigated. Mice were infected and divided into groups: G1, infected with 21SF strain; G2, infected with 3 clones’s 21SF strain; and G3, infected with each clone alone. Subsequently, the groups were subdivided in treated and untreated controls. After the treatment the mice were euthanized. Serological tests and parasitological tests were performed. Sections of the heart and skeletal muscle were collected, fixed and then processed for the histopathological study in sections stained with Hematoxilin end Eosin. Parasitological tests for animals treated have shown positive results that varied from 25 to 66.7% and the serology titers varied from 1:10 a 1:280 in treated mice. Cure rates ranged from 11.1 to 30.8%. Histopathological examination revealed that treated animals presented clear reduction of lesions in myocardium and in skeletal muscle. Animals subjected to multiple infections have low rates of cure and worsening of tissue lesions.