Abstract
Twenty-nine road-killed opossums (Didelphis virginiana) collected from Baldwin County, central Georgia, were tested for the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Utilizing a cell culture containing T. cruzi epimastigotes, a positive control was established by injecting parasites into opossum heart tissue. DNA was extracted from both the control and sample heart tissues using a proteinase K protocol. PCR analysis of the isolated DNA with T. cruzi-specific primers indicated the presence of parasite DNA in at least 10.3% of the opossums in the Baldwin County sample. This study demonstrates that PCR of extracted DNA from road-killed specimens is an effective method for detecting the presence of T. cruzi in opossums.
Recommended Citation
Parrish, Emily and Mead, Alfred J.
(2010)
"Determining the Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in Road-Killed Opossums (Didelphis virginiana) from Baldwin County, Georgia, Using Polymerase Chain Reaction,"
Georgia Journal of Science, Vol. 68, No. 2, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.gaacademy.org/gjs/vol68/iss2/5