I need to determine infection rate of dedritic cells by Trypanosoma cruzi determining amastigotes forms insides these cells and I have thought to do that by RT-qPCR to detect some specific transcript or protein that only this life cycle can produce, since count the infected cells and the amastigotes inside the cell is not a accurate method.

Or are there another way more accurate to determine infection rate inside the cells if it is a intracellular parasite?