Sources of infective forms:
(1) eating uncooked blood from a resevoir host
(2) eating raw or undercook meat from a resevoir host
(3) eating food contaminated by the anal gland secretions of the common opossum (Didelphis)
(4) eating an entire triatomine intentionally or by accident
(5) eating food contaminated by infected triatomine feces
The infective form is killed by:
(1) desiccation
(2) heating
(3) freezing
The infective form can live for some time if
(1) kept moist and
(2) kept at ambient temperatures or even in the refrigerator.
The ideal source for oral transmission is a fruit, sugar cane or palm juice that is prepared in a rural area, exposed to insects, kept unrefrigerated and consumed shortly after being produced. In the case reported by de Noya et al the source was guava juice.
Fresh unwashed vegetables is another important source of oral transmission.
