Canine Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the Bolivian Chaco

• Published in: Parasites & vectors Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 632
• Main Authors: Gabrielli, Simona, Spinicci, Michele, Macchioni, Fabio, Rojo, David, Totino, Valentina, Rojas, Patricia, Roselli, Mimmo, Gamboa, Herlan, Cancrini, Gabriella, Bartoloni, Alessandro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 12.12.2018; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Biomedical research; Blood; Bolivia; Chagas disease; Councils; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diagnostic systems; Disease susceptibility; Distribution; DNA; Dog diseases; Dogs; Environmental aspects; Epidemiology; Human-animal relationships; Humans; Infections; International organizations; Laboratory animals; Letter to the Editor; Nucleotide sequence; PCR; Polymerase chain reaction; Protozoa; Rural areas; Rural communities; Trypanosoma cruzi; Vector-borne diseases; Zoonoses; Bolivia; Argentina; Belgium; United States > US; Latin America; Chaco region; Chagas disease; Bolivia; Humans; Dogs; Trypanosoma cruzi
• ISSN: 1756-3305; 1756-3305
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3247-0

A cross-sectional study on Trypanosoma cruzi was carried out in 2013 to evaluate the role of dogs as possible source of infection for humans in two rural communities of the highly endemic Bolivian Chaco (Bartolo, Chuquisaca Department, n = 57 dogs; and Ivamirapinta, Santa Cruz Department, n = 48 dogs). Giemsa-stained thick and thin smears, rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT) (Chagas Quick test, Cypress Diagnostic, Belgium) and polymerase chain reaction for T. cruzi on dried blood spots were performed. All smears proved negative by microscopic examination, whereas 23/103 (22%) were positive by ICT and 5/105 (5%) blood samples contained T. cruzi DNA, evidencing the potential role of dogs in the domestic transmission of the parasite.