The potential of canine sentinels for reemerging Trypanosoma cruzi transmission.

Chagas disease, a vector-borne disease transmitted by triatomine bugs and caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects millions of people in the Americas. In Arequipa, Peru, indoor residual insecticide spraying campaigns are routinely conducted to eliminate Triatoma infestans, the only vector in this area. Following insecticide spraying, there is risk of vector return and reinitiation of parasite transmission. Dogs are important reservoirs of T. cruzi and may play a role in reinitiating transmission in previously sprayed areas. Dogs may also serve as indicators of reemerging transmission. We conducted a cross-sectional serological screening to detect T. cruzi antibodies in dogs, in conjunction with an entomological vector collection survey at the household level, in a disease endemic area that had been treated with insecticide 13 years prior. Spatial clustering of infected animals and vectors was assessed using Ripley's K statistic, and the odds of being seropositive for dogs proximate to infected colonies was estimated with multivariate logistic regression. There were 106 triatomine-infested houses (41.1%), and 45 houses infested with T. cruzi-infected triatomine insects (17.4%). Canine seroprevalence in the area was 12.3% (n=154); all seropositive dogs were 9 months old or older. We observed clustering of vectors carrying the parasite, but no clustering of seropositive dogs. The age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio between seropositivity to T. cruzi and proximity to an infected triatomine (≤50m) was 5.67 (95% CI: 1.12-28.74; p=0.036). Targeted control of reemerging transmission can be achieved by improved understanding of T. cruzi in canine populations. Our results suggest that dogs may be useful sentinels to detect re-initiation of transmission following insecticide treatment. Integration of canine T. cruzi blood sampling into existing interventions for zoonotic disease control (e.g., rabies vaccination programs) can be an effective method of increasing surveillance and improving understanding of disease distribution.

Castillo-Neyra R ，Chou Chu L ，Quispe-Machaca V ，Ancca-Juarez J ，Malaga Chavez FS ，Bastos Mazuelos M ，Naquira C ，Bern C ，Gilman RH ，Levy MZ ... -  《-》

Epidemiology and Molecular Typing of Trypanosoma cruzi in Naturally-Infected Hound Dogs and Associated Triatomine Vectors in Texas, USA.

Curtis-Robles R ，Snowden KF ，Dominguez B ，Dinges L ，Rodgers S ，Mays G ，Hamer SA ... -  《PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases》

High levels of human infection with Trypanosoma cruzi associated with the domestic density of infected vectors and hosts in a rural area of northeastern Argentina.

Cardinal MV ，Sartor PA ，Gaspe MS ，Enriquez GF ，Colaianni I ，Gürtler RE ... -  《Parasites & Vectors》

Long-term impact of a ten-year intervention program on human and canine Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the Argentine Chaco.

Cardinal MV ，Enriquez GF ，Macchiaverna NP ，Argibay HD ，Fernández MDP ，Alvedro A ，Gaspe MS ，Gürtler RE ... -  《PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases》

Evaluation of dogs as sentinels of the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in a rural area of north-western Argentina.

Castañera MB ，Lauricella MA ，Chuit R ，Gürtler RE ... -  《annals of tropical medicine and parasitology》