title: Risk factors associated with Trypanosoma cruzi exposure in domestic dogs from a rural community in Panama.
abstract: Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection, is a zoonosis of humans, wild and domestic mammals, including dogs. In Panama, the main T. cruzi vector is Rhodnius pallescens, a triatomine bug whose main natural habitat is the royal palm, Attalea butyracea. In this paper, we present results from three T. cruzi serological tests (immunochromatographic dipstick, indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA) performed in 51 dogs from 24 houses in Trinidad de Las Minas, western Panama. We found that nine dogs were seropositive (17.6% prevalence). Dogs were 1.6 times more likely to become T. cruzi seropositive with each year of age and 11.6 times if royal palms where present in the peridomiciliary area of the dog's household or its two nearest neighbours. Mouse-baited-adhesive traps were employed to evaluate 12 peridomestic royal palms. All palms were found infested with R. pallescens with an average of 25.50 triatomines captured per palm. Of 35 adult bugs analysed, 88.6% showed protozoa flagellates in their intestinal contents. In addition, dogs were five times more likely to be infected by the presence of an additional domestic animal species in the dog's peridomiciliary environment. Our results suggest that interventions focused on royal palms might reduce the exposure to T. cruzi infection.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, República de Panamá
authors.forename: Azael
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saldaña
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, República de Panamá
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Calzada
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, República de Panamá
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, República de Panamá
authors.forename: Milixa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perea
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, República de Panamá
authors.forename: Chystrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rigg
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, República de Panamá
authors.forename: Kadir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, República de Panamá
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Santamaria
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Gottdenker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Luis F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Chaves
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D010176:Panama / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D014225:Triatominae / Q000145:classification* / Q000469:parasitology; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology