Search for Trypanosoma cruzi in anal glands of naturally infected dogs

Anal glands of 15 males and 2 females T. cruzi -infected dogs from the endemic rural area of Amama, Santiago del Estero, Argentina, with ages ranging from 2 to 10 years, were randomly chosen for examination in March 1987. Epthielial cells but no T. cruzi forms were found in the study samples, indicating that canine anal glands may not be a favorite or frequent site for trypanosomes in the dog. Therefore, persistence of T. cruzi parasitemia in dogs cannot be explained on the basis of parasite seclusion and reproduction in anal glands.