Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Trypanosoma cruzi infection in dogs in Pará, Brazil
By Vívian Tavares Almeida et al.·Published in Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Medicine·2015
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Original publication title: Dogs infection by Trypanosoma cruzi in São Domingos do Capim, State of Pará, Brazil
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in São Domingos do Capim, Brazil, was tested for an infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which can lead to a serious disease called Chagas disease. Out of 113 dogs tested, 31% were found to be infected, with the highest rates in certain communities. The researchers used various blood tests to confirm the infections, and one dog was found to have the parasite during a follow-up. These findings highlight that dogs can be affected by this parasite and may serve as indicators of its presence in the area.
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Abstract
ABSTRACT. Almeida V.T., Kobayashi Y.T. da S., Roque A.L.R., Barros J.H.S., de Castro L.R.S., Madeira E.A.O., Uzcategui R.A.R. & Fernandes J.I. Dogs infection by Trypanosoma cruzi in São Domingos do Capim, State of Pará, Brazil. [Infecção por Trypanosoma cruzi em cães em São Domingos do Capim, Estado do Pará, Brasil.] Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 37(supl. 1):106- 112, 2015. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Campus II, BR 316 Km 62, Castanhal, PA 68743-970, Brasil. E-mail: vitalmeida21@hotmail.com The objective of this study was to determine the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi among dogs naturally infected by it inside four rural communities at the Municipality of São Domingos do Capim located in the Northeastern Pará, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 113 dogs and 85.7% (30/35) of the serologically positive dogs had their blood re-collected after three months. The diagnosis of T. cruzi infection was performed by: fresh blood examination, hemoconcentration, hemoculture, as well as the serological assays Indirect Immunofluorescence Essay (IFAT) and Imunoenzimatic essay (ELISA). The presence of positive dogs in both serologic tests (IFAT + ELISA) was 31% (35/113), distributed among the four communities as follows: (12/44) Uricuriteua, (19/40) Cezaréia, (1/16) Aliança and (3/13) Catita. None of the samples was positive in the fresh blood examination or hemoconcentration, although it was possible to isolate T. cruzi, DTU TcI in one dog sample during its blood re-collection. These results show how dogs are exposed to the T. cruzi transmission cycle, revealing their importance as sentinels for the presence of this parasite in the studied area.
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