Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How to test dogs in Texas for Chagas disease antibodies
By Shadomy, Sean V et al.·Published in Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology·2004·The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Combined use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry to detect antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi in domestic canines in Texas.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 2.6% of dogs in Harris County, Texas, tested positive for antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite that can affect both dogs and humans. The researchers used a combination of two tests to screen for the infection, and while many dogs showed initial positive results, only a few were confirmed to have the infection. Most of the dogs were asymptomatic, meaning they showed no signs of illness. This research highlights the presence of T. cruzi in local dogs, suggesting that pet owners in the area should be aware of this potential health risk.
People also search for: dog Trypanosoma cruzi infection · symptoms of T. cruzi in dogs · Texas dog parasite testing
Abstract
Canines may be sentinels and/or reservoirs for human Trypanosoma cruzi exposures. This study adapted a method originally designed for human diagnostics to detect serum immunoglobulin G to T. cruzi in canines. The method combined an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for screening and flow cytometry detection of anti-live trypomastigote antibodies (ALTA) for confirmation. The assays were optimized by using known positive and negative control canine sera, and cutoff values were established. The ELISA and ALTA assay easily distinguished between reactive (positive controls) and nonreactive (negative controls) sera and were used to test sera collected in a cross-sectional seroprevalence survey of 356 domestic canines from Harris County, Tex., and the surrounding area. Fifty-three (14.9%) of 356 asymptomatic canines in the survey were positive by ELISA, and 5 (1.4%) were confirmed positive with the ALTA assay, with an additional 4 (1.1%) canines classified as "suspect positive." Thus, the overall prevalence of T. cruzi antibodies in this population was 2.6%. This is the first U.S. study to use the combination of ELISA and ALTA to detect serum antibodies to T. cruzi and the first report of the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in domestic canines in the Houston, Tex. (Harris County), region. Our results demonstrate that the combination of ELISA and ALTA has been successfully adapted for use in testing canines for serological evidence of T. cruzi infection. Seroprevalence survey results suggest that T. cruzi antibody-positive domestic canines in the peridomestic setting are present in the Houston, Tex., region and further suggest that T. cruzi is enzootic in the region.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15013981/