Transmission of chaga's disease to the Australian marsupial Trichosurus vulpecula

The results of inoculating Trypanosoma cruzi into 40 specimens of the marsupial, Trichosurus vulpecula, the common Australian phalanger or possum, are recorded. After a single injection of blood or culture fluid containing T. cruzi, all these marsupials became infected and exhibited an acute form of South American trypanosomiasis or Chaga's disease. The death-rate was 60 per cent. in non-immunized animals, and death due to heart failure occurred 21 to 35 days after inoculation. Survivors remained immune to subsequent infections with T. cruzi. No evidence of age resistance was found and passive immunization did not protect T. vulpecula against infection but reduced the mortality rate.