A MODIFIED PROCEDURE OF XENODIAGNOSIS FOR CHAGAS DISEASE.

Summary A modified procedure for the examination of reduviid bugs used in the xenodiagnosis of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is described. It consists in the homogenization of a group of test insects in saline solution and the subsequent filtration, centrifugation and phase-contrast examination of the sediment for trypanosomes. The advantages of this modified procedure are its greater rapidity, simplicity and sensitivity compared with the older method. This xenodiagnostic procedure is recommended especially for epidemio-parasitological surveys and for routine parasitological examinations in individuals with latent or chronic infection with T. cruzi.