Presencia de epimastigotes de Trypanosoma cruzi en el plasma seminal de ratones con infección aguda

we report the presence of evolving forms of trypanosoma cruzi in the seminal plasma (sp) of nmri mice subcutaneously inoculated with 2x104 metacyclic trypomastigotes obtained from p6 strain rhodnius prolixus. when taking blood samples at 15 days post-infection, the mouse spontaneously ejaculated and the direct sp exam revealed the presence of active epimastigotes of t. cruzi mixed with spermatozoids. sp preparations stained with giemsa showed free and dividing epimastigotes, extracellular trypomastigotes and amastigotes, as well as, within phagocytic cells. the results showed the presence of t. cruzi at the different stages of its life cycle in the mouse ps, observing similar morphogenesis in the ps to the one known in the insect vector. the parasitism found in the sp of this mouse with acute infection, provides important epidemiological information about the t. cruzi pathway of sexual transmission, mainly among the population of wild reservoirs found in endemic and non-endemic areas for chagas`disease.