Chagas Disease Epidemiology in Central America: an Update

Peterson, Jennifer K.; Yoshioka, Kota; Hashimoto, Ken; Caranci, Angela; Gottdenker, Nicole; Monroy, Carlota; Saldaña, Azäel; Rodriguez, Stanley; Dorn, Patricia L.; Zúniga, Concepción

doi:10.1007/s40475-019-00176-z

Cited by 19 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…However, a pamphlet cannot compensate for the resources that are missing due to the country not being officially designated as ‘Chagas endemic’ by major global health organizations [ 10 , 15 , 50 ]. With official Chagas disease endemic status comes numerous resources [ 50 ], such as donated medications [ 51 ], blood bank monitoring support data coordination [ 52 ], and a framework for increasing T. cruzi screening in pregnant women [ 53 , 54 ]. Furthermore, endemicity provides the opportunity to participate in subregional intergovernmental Chagas disease control initiatives such as the Southern Cone Initiative (INCOSUR, [ 55 ]) and the Initiative for Chagas Disease Control in Central America and Mexico (IPCAM, [ 56 ]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Characterization of Triatomine Bug Blood Meals on the Island of Trinidad Reveals Opportunistic Feeding Behavior on Both Human and Animal Hosts

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. The parasite is endemic to the Americas, including the Caribbean, where it is vectored by triatomine bugs. Although Chagas disease is not considered a public health concern in the Caribbean islands, studies in Trinidad have found T. cruzi-seropositive humans and T. cruzi-infected triatomine bugs. However, little is known about triatomine bug host preferences in Trinidad, making it difficult to evaluate local risk of vector-borne T. cruzi transmission to humans. To investigate this question, we collected triatomine bugs in Trinidad and diagnosed each one for T. cruzi infection (microscopy and PCR). We then carried out a blood meal analysis using DNA extracted from each bug (PCR and sequencing). Fifty-five adult bugs (54 Panstrongylus geniculatus and one Rhodnius pictipes) were collected from five of 21 sample sites. All successful collection sites were residential. Forty-six out of the 55 bugs (83.6%) were infected with T. cruzi. Fifty-three blood meal hosts were successfully analyzed (one per bug), which consisted of wild birds (7% of all blood meals), wild mammals (17%), chickens (19%), and humans (57%). Of the 30 bugs with human blood meals, 26 (87%) were from bugs infected with T. cruzi. Although preliminary, our results align with previous work in which P. geniculatus in Trinidad had high levels of T. cruzi infection. Furthermore, our findings suggest that P. geniculatus moves between human and animal environments in Trinidad, feeding opportunistically on a wide range of species. Our findings highlight a critical need for further studies of Chagas disease in Trinidad in order to estimate the public health risk and implement necessary preventative and control measures.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Characterization of Triatomine Bug Blood Meals on the Island of Trinidad Reveals Opportunistic Feeding Behavior on Both Human and Animal Hosts

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The current international objective concerning Chagas disease, set within the WHO roadmap and the London Declaration on NTDs, is to interrupt vectorial intra-domiciliary transmission in the Americas by 2020 [30, 31]. It is now clear that achievement of this goal will be postponed, particularly because of the role played by intrusive triatomine species on intra-domiciliary transmission, and that innovative control strategies, based on a comprehensive understanding of the ecology of the vectors and of local T. cruzi transmission cycles and their dynamics, are needed to achieve such an ambitious target [10, 32, 33].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disentangling Trypanosoma cruzi transmission cycle dynamics through the identification of blood meal sources of natural populations of Triatoma dimidiata in Yucatán, Mexico

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundIn the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, Triatoma dimidiata is the main vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. Little effort has been made to identify blood meal sources of T. dimidiata in natural conditions in this region, although this provides key information to disentangle T. cruzi transmission cycles and dynamics and guide the development of more effective control strategies. We identified the blood meals of a large sample of T. dimidiata bugs collected in different ecotopes simultaneously with the assessment of bug infection with T. cruzi, to disentangle the dynamics of T. cruzi transmission in the region.MethodsA sample of 248 T. dimidiata bugs collected in three rural villages and in the sylvatic habitat surrounding these villages was used. DNA from each bug midgut was extracted and bug infection with T. cruzi was assessed by PCR. For blood meal identification, we used a molecular assay based on cloning and sequencing following PCR amplification with vertebrate universal primers, and allowing the detection of multiple blood meals in a single bug.ResultsOverall, 28.7% of the bugs were infected with T. cruzi, with no statistical difference between bugs from the villages or from sylvatic ecotopes. Sixteen vertebrate species including domestic, synanthropic and sylvatic animals, were identified as blood meal sources for T. dimidiata. Human, dog and cow were the three main species identified, in bugs collected in the villages as well as in sylvatic ecotopes. Importantly, dog was highlighted as the main blood meal source after human. Dog was also the most frequently identified animal together with human within single bugs, and tended to be associated with the infection of the bugs.ConclusionsDog, human and cow were identified as the main mammals involved in the connection of sylvatic and domestic transmission cycles in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Dog appeared as the most important animal in the transmission pathway of T. cruzi to humans, but other domestic and synanthropic animals, which most were previously reported as important hosts of T. cruzi in the region, were evidenced and should be taken into account as part of integrated control strategies aimed at disrupting parasite transmission.

show abstract

“…Naturalmente, esta especie ha sido encontrada en climas cálidos en bosques secos y húmedas, desde el nivel del mar hasta 2,000 m s. n. m. (Bustamante et al, 2009), la aldea Chuchuapa brinda un hábitat idóneo para la proliferación del vector, lo cual se demuestra por el índice de infestación de 6.71% encontrado, la cual es un porcentaje considerable y evidencia la presencia del vector como potencial transmisor de la enfermedad de Chagas. Esto representado en valores por cada 100 habitantes indica que prácticamente 7 de cada 100 viviendas se encuentran infestadas con el vector, con un índice de infección natural intradomicilio de 26.3%, el cual podría ser considerado elevado, manifestando la falta de medidas de control en la construcción de viviendas y de la concientización de la población, pudiéndose considerar como una enfermedad desatendida en este departamento, ya que se han centrado los esfuerzos de control más que todo en Chiquimula y Jutiapa y se considera como de baja prioridad a nivel nacional Peterson, Yoshika, 2019); en Chiquimula, el índice de infestación observado en el 2000 fue de 21.13% habiendo disminuido en el 2007 a 2.0%, luego de aplicar medidas de control, lo que evidencia lo indicado sobre la falta de atención al departamento de Santa Rosa, aunque este índice no llegó a ser tan elevado (Chávez, 2020). Tabla 2…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

Encuesta entomológica y caracterización de las viviendas con el vector de la enfermedad de Chagas, en aldea Chuchuapa, Santa Rosa, Guatemala

Guzmán

Saucedo

Villagrán

et al. 2021

CTS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

En Guatemala en el 2015, el Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social (MSPAS) reportó nuevos casos de la enfermedad de Chagas en la región suroriental del país, siendo Santa Rosa uno de los departamentos endémicos en donde Triatoma dimidiata es el principal transmisor. Se estimó la infestación de T. dimidiata en la aldea Chuchuapa, municipio de Santa María Ixhuatán, de abril a junio de 2019, se calcularon los índices entomológicos y se caracterizaron intra y peridomiciliar 149 viviendas (79.67% de las viviendas habitadas). Los datos se obtuvieron mediante un cuestionario mixto, en entrevista cara a cara y evaluación de las viviendas, por un equipo profesional experimentado, mediante el método y protocolo estándar hombre-hora. Se capturaron 20 triatominos en 10 viviendas, con un índice de infestación de 6.71% (10/149), un índice de densidad de 13.42% (20/149), 19 triatominos intradomiciliares y uno peridomiciliar, con un índice de infección natural por Trypanosoma cruzi intradomiciliar de 26.3% (5/19), índice de infección natural por T. cruzi peridomiciliar de 100.0% (1/1) e índice de infección natural por T. cruzi en los triatominos capturados de 30.0 % (6/20). Las viviendas infestadas presentaron techo de lámina, pared de bajareque con grietas y sin repello, piso de tierra y afiches en la pared, acumulación de leña u otros materiales tanto intra como peridomiciliar, convivencia con animales domésticos y tenencia de animales de corral. Los resultados representan un alto riesgo para la transmisión de la enfermedad de Chagas entre los habitantes de la aldea.

show abstract

Chagas Disease Epidemiology in Central America: an Update

Cited by 19 publications

References 40 publications

Preliminary Characterization of Triatomine Bug Blood Meals on the Island of Trinidad Reveals Opportunistic Feeding Behavior on Both Human and Animal Hosts

Preliminary Characterization of Triatomine Bug Blood Meals on the Island of Trinidad Reveals Opportunistic Feeding Behavior on Both Human and Animal Hosts

Disentangling Trypanosoma cruzi transmission cycle dynamics through the identification of blood meal sources of natural populations of Triatoma dimidiata in Yucatán, Mexico

Encuesta entomológica y caracterización de las viviendas con el vector de la enfermedad de Chagas, en aldea Chuchuapa, Santa Rosa, Guatemala

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About