Continuing evidence of Chagas disease along the Texas-Mexico border

Nolan, Melissa S.; Aguilar, David; Brown, Eric L.; Gunter, Sarah M.; Ronca, Shannon E.; Hanis, Craig L.; Murray, Kristy O.

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0006899

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…As of 2017, the estimated seroprevalence of CD in Mexico was 2.26%, much higher than previously thought [ 29 ]. A study in Starr County, Texas which lies adjacent to the Mexican border found that eight of 1196 study participants (0.7%) screened positive with 2 of the cases 1196 (0.2%) confirmed by study criteria [ 53 ]. With Texas and Mexico sharing such a large border region, it stands to reason that the seroprevalence in places such as Texas could be higher, however with limited surveillance and screening it is hard to know the true amount of CD in Texas or the U.S.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geospatial analysis as a tool to identify target areas for Chagas disease education for healthcare providers

et al. 2022

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Chagas Disease (CD) is a neglected zoonotic disease of the Americas. It can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated in its early stages. Using geospatial and sensitivity analysis, this study focuses on understanding how to better allocate resources and educational information to areas in the United States, specifically Texas, that have the potential for increased risk of CD cases and the associated costs of addressing the disease. ICD-9 and 10 inpatient hospital diagnostic codes were used to illustrate the salience of potentially missed CD diagnoses (e.g., cardiomyopathic diagnoses) and where these are occurring with more frequency. Coding software along with GIS and Microsoft Excel 3D mapping were used to generate maps to illustrate where there may be a need for increased statewide surveillance and screening of populations at greater risk for CD. The CD cases reported to the Texas Department of State Healthcare Services (TxDSHS) are not homogenously dispersed throughout the state but rather, reveal that the incidences are in clusters and primarily in urban areas, where there is increased access to physician care, CD research and diagnostic capabilities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This research is one of a few examining CD through hospital records [ 53 ]. This is the first to examine statewide hospital records in order to qualify the potential for missed CD diagnosis in Texas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geospatial analysis as a tool to identify target areas for Chagas disease education for healthcare providers

et al. 2022

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“… 4 In the United States, regional tropical disease prevalence is driven by several major factors, including 1) human migration and urbanization, 2) socioeconomic status (which is related directly to access to health care), 3) climate change, and 4) the presence of suitable vectors. Many of these factors are present in the southern United States and Texas, and contribute to the frequency of tropical disease diagnoses in this region, 5 such as autochthonous arbovirus infections, Chagas disease, 6 neurocysticercosis (NCC), 7 intestinal parasite infections, 8 tuberculosis, 9 and murine typhus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reviewing a Decade of Outpatient Tropical Medicine in Houston, Texas

Kaplan

Centeno

Hayon

et al. 2022

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Tropical diseases cause significant morbidity among the world’s poorest populations. Although more common in low- and middle-income countries, tropical diseases are also found among underserved populations living in high-income countries such as the United States. The National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and the Harris Health System founded a tropical medicine clinic—the Harris Health Tropical Medicine Clinic (HHTMC)—in Houston in 2011 in response to tropical disease-related morbidity in Texas. We conducted a retrospective chart review of a sample of patients older than 18 years of age who were referred to the HHTMC between October 2011 and January 2020. Of the 523 patients reviewed, 185 (35.4%) had mycobacterial infections, 184 (35.2%) had parasitic infections, 38 (7.3%) had fungal infections, 16 (3.1%) had eosinophilia without a confirmed clinical diagnosis, 28 (5.4%) had bacterial infections, and 13 (2.5%) had viral infections. The most common infections overall were extrapulmonary and latent tuberculosis (n = 169), neurocysticercosis (n = 78), strongyloidiasis (n = 28), Chagas disease (n = 25), and schistosomiasis (n = 12). The epidemiology of tropical diseases in the United States is understudied at national and regional levels. This 10-year retrospective study contributes to bridging this knowledge gap by detailing the frequencies of tropical disease diagnoses made at the HHTMC in Houston, TX. These data highlight areas for advancement in the field of tropical medicine within the United States, such as improving front-line health-care provider education; establishing tropical medicine clinics in areas of high prevalence such as the Gulf Coast, Appalachia, and urban areas; and developing comprehensive, systematic national tropical disease screening programs and patient registries.

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“…The chronic phase of Chagas disease can cause nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy in up to one-third of those infected in the United States and Latin America [5]. Once chronic infection progresses to symptomatic disease, anti-trypanosomal therapy is less effective, highlighting the value of prevention and early identification [7,9]. In addition, significant side effects associated with available therapeutics lead to low patient adherence to the full course of treatment [10,11] and poor treatment efficacy [5,12], making prevention the optimal public health strategy and warranting the development of novel control methods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Southwestern United States Pilot Investigation of Triatomine–Mite Prevalence

Dye‐Braumuller

Waltz

Lynn

et al. 2021

Insects

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Background: Chagas disease is a leading cause of cardiac failure in Latin America. Due to poor safety profiles and efficacy of currently available therapeutics, prevention is a priority for the millions living at risk for acquiring this clinically important vector-borne disease. Triatomine vectors of the Chagas disease parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, are found in the southwestern United States, but risk for autochthonous transmission is thought to be low. The role of ectoparasitic mites is under-explored regarding the ecology of triatomines and Chagas disease transmission. Methods: Triatomine collections were performed using three common entomologic techniques in 2020–2021 from four different locations in southern Arizona and New Mexico. Triatomines were analyzed visually under a 112.5× microscope for the presence of externally attached mites. Following mite removal, triatomines were tested for T. cruzi infection by PCR. Results: Approximately 13% of the collected triatomines had mites securely attached to their head, thorax, abdomen, and legs. More than one mite attached was a common finding among ectoparasitized triatomines. Mite presence, however, did not statistically influence triatomine T. cruzi status. Conclusions: Our findings add to a growing body of literature demonstrating the sustainability of mite-infested triatomine populations throughout the Western Hemisphere. Future investigations are warranted to better understand the biologic impact of triatomine mites and their potential to serve as a potential biological control tool.

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Continuing evidence of Chagas disease along the Texas-Mexico border

Cited by 11 publications

References 26 publications

Geospatial analysis as a tool to identify target areas for Chagas disease education for healthcare providers

Geospatial analysis as a tool to identify target areas for Chagas disease education for healthcare providers

Reviewing a Decade of Outpatient Tropical Medicine in Houston, Texas

A Southwestern United States Pilot Investigation of Triatomine–Mite Prevalence

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