Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs from suburbia neighborhoods of Corrientes, Argentina

Abstract

Studies in canine populations have demonstrated a high prevalence of dogs infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the infectious agent of Chagas's disease, and their importance as a reservoir in the domestic cycle of the parasite. The presence of infected canines in the neighbourhoods, associated with the precarious characteristics of the houses, their gardens and surroundings, contribute to the endemic presence of the disease. The degree of canine T. cruzi infection and its association with risk factors was considered, using the percentage of infected animals in peripheral neighbourhoods as an epidemiological indicator. Areas of the city of Corrientes under consideration had precarious conditions, with increased risk factors arising from the characteristics of the houses. A total of 122 canines, from which 58% belonged to type A houses (wood walls, soil floor) and 42% to type B (brick walls, concrete floor). The total prevalence was 54% (66 sera were positive, 41 animals from type A houses, and the remaining 25 to type B). Although the prevalence was high, the number of animals should be increased in order to infer what happens at the population level. With the calculation of the relative risk and the association between the presence of infection and house types, value 1.41 could be indicating that canines from type A houses are more likely to develop the disease. Statistical analysis allows us to conclude that there is no significant evidence to affirm that there is association between canine infection and the type of house where animals live.