Seroprevalence and major antigens recognized by sera from Trypanosoma cruzi-infected dogs from Jalisco, México

Abstract

Chagas disease is a major endemic disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. This parasitic disease is widely distributed throughout Latin America, affecting 10 million people. There are also reports of canine infection in the southern part of the United States. Dogs are considered the predominant domestic reservoir for T. cruzi in many areas of endemicity. In México, dog infection by this parasite has been poorly studied. In this work 209 dogs from six villages in Jalisco, México, were assessed to detect anti-T. cruzi antibodies by ELISA and Western blot. Seventeen (17) seropositive dogs (8.1 %) were detected by both tests, representing a seropositive value similar to that found in some southern states of México where the infection is present. No statistical differences were observed concerning the age and sex of infected and non-infected dogs. The major antigens recognized by positive sera were 26, 32, 66 and 80kDa. These proteins are candidates to develop a specific diagnostic method for canine Chagas. No antibodies against HSP16 protein were found in T. cruzi seropositive sera. This is the first report of canine serology of Chagas disease in this central part of México. This report will contribute to the knowledge of the infection status of domestic reservoirs in the state of Jalisco, México.

Seropositivity for Trypanosoma cruzi in domestic dogs from Sonora, Mexico

“…The seropositivity rate of Chagas infection in dogs was not related to the socioeconomic conditions of the population, nor was it influenced by the age or sex of the animal. These findings correlate with studies conducted by Jimenez-Coello et al [ 19 ] and Martínez et al [ 26 ], both of which were conducted in endemic areas of Mexico. However, positive samples found using the screening test (ELISA) suggest that the economic status of the geographical area may be a potential risk factor in the human and canine populations.…”

“…Studies describing the seropositivity rate in dogs in Mexico (see Table 1 ) have demonstrated a direct correlation with the presence of antibodies against T. cruzi in humans [ 10 , 16 - 26 ]. The high seropositivity rate of T. cruzi infection in dogs from different regions in the country suggests that dogs are a potential domestic reservoir and are thus potential perpetuators of the T. cruzi transmission to humans.…”

A review on the occurrence of companion vector-borne diseases in pet animals in Latin America

“…Trypanosomosis due to T. cruzi has been reported in dogs at seroprevalences of 8.1% in Jalisco, 7.6% in Campeche, between 4.5–42.8% in Chiapas, 20.0–21.3% in Quintana Roo, 21.0–24.5% in Tejupilco, 17.5% in Toluca and 9.8–34.0% in Yucatan [84, 572–579]. In cats, T. cruzi infection has been reported at a seroprevalence of 7.4–8.6% in the Yucatan Peninsula [580, 581].…”

The role of small heat shock proteins in parasites

“…However, the protein was poorly immunogenic in humans, as very few sera samples from human patients with leishmaniasis reacted positively to the protein (MontalvoÁlvarez et al 2008). In contrast, in the very closed related kinetoplastid, T. cruzi, the SHSP16 protein was not recognized by patients or dogs infected with the parasite (Martínez et al 2014). Also, the immunogenic properties of the recombinant protein HSP20 of Echinococcus multilocularis were investigated.…”