Kjos S A, Snowden K F, Craig T M, Lewis B, Ronald N, Olson J K
Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2475, USA.
Vet Parasitol. 2008 Apr 15;152(3-4):249-56. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.12.021. Epub 2008 Feb 5.
Although acute and chronic cases of canine Chagas disease have been reported from multiple areas in the southern region of the United States, little data are available on current disease occurrence patterns in endemic areas. Therefore, a study to assess frequency, geographic distribution, signalment, and clinical spectrum of Chagas disease in domestic dogs from Texas was conducted. Serology, histopathology, and clinical case records from multiple institutions for the time period 1993-2007 were analyzed. A total of 537 serologically and/or histopathologically confirmed cases were documented. Cases were reported from 48 of 254 counties within Texas, covering all major geographic regions. Forty-eight dog breeds were represented among the cases, primarily in the sporting and working groups. In histopathologically confirmed cases, acute death occurred in 42%, approximately half of which were <1 year of age. Nearly all cases with histopathology data reported myocarditis (97.9%) and observation of Trypanosoma cruzi organisms (81.7%). Predominant clinical observations included enlarged heart, lethargy, anorexia, ascites, cardiac conduction disturbances, and respiratory difficulties. An increasing rate of serologic test submissions was noted over the study period, with an overall positive test prevalence of 20.3%. The study results provide strong evidence that an active canine Chagas disease transmission cycle is present throughout all ecoregions of Texas, affecting a broad range of dog breeds and age groups.
尽管在美国南部多个地区都报告过犬类恰加斯病的急性和慢性病例，但关于流行地区当前疾病发生模式的数据却很少。因此，开展了一项研究，以评估得克萨斯州家犬恰加斯病的发病频率、地理分布、特征及临床症状。分析了1993年至2007年期间多个机构的血清学、组织病理学及临床病例记录。共记录了537例经血清学和/或组织病理学确诊的病例。病例报告来自得克萨斯州254个县中的48个，覆盖了所有主要地理区域。病例中有48个犬种，主要集中在运动犬组和工作犬组。在组织病理学确诊的病例中，42%出现急性死亡，其中约一半年龄小于1岁。几乎所有有组织病理学数据的病例都报告有心肌炎（97.9%）和克氏锥虫病原体（81.7%）。主要的临床症状包括心脏肿大、嗜睡、厌食、腹水、心脏传导障碍及呼吸困难。在研究期间，血清学检测送检率呈上升趋势，检测总体阳性率为20.3%。研究结果提供了有力证据，表明得克萨斯州所有生态区域都存在活跃的犬类恰加斯病传播周期，影响着广泛的犬种和年龄组。
