Abstract

FERREIRA, Cláudio Santos; MARTINHO, Prazeres Conceição; AMATO NETO, Vicente  and  CRUZ, Roseana Rodrigues Bressane. Pasteurization of human milk to prevent transmission of Chagas disease. Rev. Inst. Med. trop. S. Paulo [online]. 2001, vol.43, n.3, pp. 161-162. ISSN 0036-4665.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652001000300008.

Although admittedly transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi infection through breastfeeding is a rare event, it involves serious risks. To test the effectiveness of pasteurization in preventing this mode of infection, three sets of samples of human milk were tested: a - contaminated with T. cruzi and pasteurized; b - contaminated with T. cruzi and non-pasteurized; c - non-contaminated and pasteurized. Samples from all sets were orally and intraperitoneally administered to 90 BALB/c mice. The animals inoculated with contaminated, non-pasteurized samples, got the infection. Controls and the animals inoculated with contaminated and pasteurized milk were not infected. The hypothesis was accepted that pasteurization inactivates T. cruzi trypomastigotes.

Keywords : Trypanosoma cruzi; Pasteurization of human milk; Milk banks.