Trypanosoma cruzi: Desferrioxamine decreases mortality and parasitemia in infected mice through a trypanostatic effect

► DFO (5 mg/day, 35 days) reduces parasitemia and early mortality in Y strain T. cruzi infected mouse. ► DFO (5 mg/day, 35 days) does not affect host iron metabolism and mouse blood cell counts. ► DFO decreases parasite mobility in vitro. ► DFO decreases parasite growth in fibroblast culture in vitro. ► DFO does not alter viability and does not induce significant apoptosis in vitro.