Shelter Dogs as Sentinels for Trypanosoma cruzi Transmission across Texas

Abstract

Chagas disease, an infection with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is increasingly diagnosed among humans in the southern United States. We assessed exposure of shelter dogs in Texas to T. cruzi; seroprevalence across diverse ecoregions was 8.8%. Canine serosurveillance is a useful tool for public health risk assessment.

Keywords

• Chagas disease
• Trypanosoma cruzi
• Texas, hematophagous triatomines, kissing bug, vectorborne, parasite, autochthonous, enzootic, parasites
• Texas