Kendricks April L, Gray Stanton B, Wilkerson Gregory K, Sands Courtney M, Abee Christian R, Bernacky Bruce J, Hotez Peter J, Bottazzi Maria Elena, Craig Suzanne L, Jones Kathryn M
Southwest Electronic Energy Medical Research Institute, Houston, Texas; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas;, Email:
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine, Bastrop, Texas.
Comp Med. 2020 Apr 1;70(2):152-159. doi: 10.30802/AALAS-CM-19-000077. Epub 2020 Mar 17.
Chagas disease is a zoonotic vector-borne disease caused by infection with the protozoan parasite is found in Latin America and the Southern United States, where it infects many species, including humans and nonhuman primates (NHPs). NHPs are susceptible to natural infection and can develop clinical symptoms consistent with human disease, including Chagasic cardiomyopathy, gastrointestinal disease and transplacental transmission, leading to congenital infection. Due to evidence of Chagas transmission in Texas, this study hypothesized infection was present in a closed, outdoor-housed breeding colony of rhesus macaques () located at a biomedical research facility in Central Texas. In addition, we questioned whether seropositive female rhesus macaques might experience reproductive complications consistent with maternal-fetal Chagas disease. The seroprevalence of infection in the colony was assessed using an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies against Tc24 antigen as a screening assay, and a commercially available immunochromatographic test (Chagas Stat Pak) as a confirmatory assay. Retrospective serologic analysis was performed to confirm the status of all -infected animals between the years 2012 to 2016. The medical history of all seropositive and seronegative breeding females within the colony from 2012 to 2016 was reviewed to determine each animals' level of reproductive fitness. The percentage of -seropositive animals ranged from 6.7% to 9.7% in adult animals and 0% to 0.44% in juveniles or weanling animals, depending on the year. An overall 3.9% seroprevalence of infection was found in the total population. No significant differences in any measure of reproductive outcomes were identified between seropositive and seronegative females from 2012 to 2016. The lack of significant adverse reproductive outcomes reported here may help inform future management decisions regarding seropositive female rhesus macaques within breeding colonies.
恰加斯病是一种人畜共患的媒介传播疾病，由原生动物寄生虫感染引起，在拉丁美洲和美国南部发现，它感染许多物种，包括人类和非人类灵长类动物（NHPs）。NHPs易受自然感染，并可出现与人类疾病一致的临床症状，包括恰加斯性心肌病、胃肠道疾病和经胎盘传播，导致先天性感染。由于得克萨斯州有恰加斯病传播的证据，本研究假设位于得克萨斯州中部一个生物医学研究设施的恒河猴封闭户外饲养繁殖群体中存在感染。此外，我们还质疑血清反应阳性的雌性恒河猴是否会出现与母婴恰加斯病一致的生殖并发症。使用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）检测针对Tc24抗原的抗体作为筛查试验，并使用市售免疫层析试验（恰加斯统计试剂盒）作为确证试验，评估群体中感染的血清阳性率。进行回顾性血清学分析以确认2012年至2016年期间所有感染动物的状况。回顾了2012年至2016年群体内所有血清反应阳性和血清反应阴性繁殖雌性的病史，以确定每只动物的生殖健康水平。根据年份不同，成年动物中感染血清反应阳性动物的百分比在6.7%至9.7%之间，幼年或断奶动物中为0%至0.44%。在总人口中发现总体感染血清阳性率为3.9%。2012年至2016年期间，血清反应阳性和血清反应阴性雌性之间在任何生殖结果指标上均未发现显著差异。此处报告的缺乏显著不良生殖结果可能有助于为未来关于繁殖群体中血清反应阳性雌性恒河猴的管理决策提供信息。
