Use of an immunochromatographic dipstick test for rapid detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in sera from animal reservoir hosts.

We evaluated an immunochromatographic dipstick test to detect Trypanosoma cruzi in canine serum samples from areas of endemicity (n = 141) and nonendemicity (n = 28) for Chagas' disease with known serological and xenodiagnostic test results. The dipstick test had a specificity of at least 94% and a sensitivity of at least 96%. The dipstick tested could become the first choice for screening purposes in disease surveillance or intervention programs.