One Health Interactions of Chagas Disease Vectors, Canid Hosts, and Human Residents along the Texas-Mexico Border.
BACKGROUND
Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi infection) is the leading cause of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy in Latin America. Texas, particularly the southern region, has compounding factors that could contribute to T. cruzi transmission; however, epidemiologic studies are lacking. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of T. cruzi in three different mammalian species (coyotes, stray domestic dogs, and humans) and vectors (Triatoma species) to understand the burden of Chagas disease among sylvatic, peridomestic, and domestic cycles.


RESULTS
To determine prevalence of infection, we tested sera from coyotes, stray domestic dogs housed in public shelters, and residents participating in related research studies and found 8%, 3.8%, and 0.36% positive for T. cruzi, respectively. PCR was used to determine the prevalence of T. cruzi DNA in vectors collected in peridomestic locations in the region, with 56.5% testing positive for the parasite, further confirming risk of transmission in the region.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence for autochthonous Chagas disease transmission in south Texas. Considering this region has a population of 1.3 million, and up to 30% of T. cruzi infected individuals developing severe cardiac disease, it is imperative that we identify high risk groups for surveillance and treatment purposes.
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Melissa N
MN
Garcia
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Sarah
S
O'Day
The University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Brownsville Regional Campus, Brownsville, Texas, United States of America.
Susan
S
Fisher-Hoch
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Rodion
R
Gorchakov
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Department of Biology, Edinburg, Texas, United States of America.
Ramiro
R
Patino
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Department of Biology, Edinburg, Texas, United States of America.
Teresa P
TP
Feria Arroyo
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Susan T
ST
Laing
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Job E
JE
Lopez
Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Alexandra
A
Ingber
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Kathryn M
KM
Jones
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Kristy O
KO
Murray
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000469:parasitology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D046029:Coyotes / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D014943:Global Health; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014224:Triatoma / Q000469:parasitology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology