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https://www.arca.fiocruz.br/handle/icict/27142
TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI INFECTION IN DOGS AND CATS AND HOUSEHOLD SEROACTIVITY TO T. CRUZI IN A RUAL COMMUNITY IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL
Author
Affilliation
Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Tropical Public Health. Boston. Massachusetts, USA
Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil
Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Tropical Public Health. Boston. Massachusetts, USA
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil
Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. London, UK
Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil
Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Tropical Public Health. Boston. Massachusetts, USA
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil
Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. London, UK
Abstract
The prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi parasitemia as determined by xenodiagnosis on domestic dogs and cats was correlated with household rates of seroreactivity to T. cruzi and household Panstrongylus megistus infestation in a rural area in northeast Brazil where P. megistus was the only domiciliary triatomine vector. T. cruzi infection was present in about 18% of domestic dogs and cats. Two-thirds of seroactive children below age 10 resided in houses with T. cruzi-infected animals. In houses with a T. cruzi-infected dog or cat, as well as at least one infected P. megistus, the household rate of seroactivity to T. cruzi was five times greather than in houses with non-infected domestic animals and no infected triatomine vectors. Domestic dogs and cats are important reservoirs of T. cruzi in an endemic area where P. megiustus is the only domiciliary triatomine vector.
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