Changes in the Hemoculture Methodology Improve the Test

In Chagas disease acute phase, diagnosis of infection can be based on parasitological methods, like for example the Strout or microhematocrit technique, which concentrate trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, with sensitivities higher than 90 % (Flores et al. 1966, Fuente et al. 1985). Due to low levels of circulating parasites in the chronic phase of the disease, xenodiagnosis and hemocul-ture are more commonly used. These indirect meth-ods are highly specific, but in general their sensi-tivities are rather low (Schenone et al. 1974, Coura et al. 1991, Chiari 1992). The Table summarizes some hemoculture and xenodiagnosis results as described in literature. Several attempts have been made to improv