Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 May;102(5):1078-1085. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0582.
is a zoonotic protozoan parasite vectored by triatomine insects that are endemic to the Americas, including the southern United States. Surveillance of domestic dogs for exposure allows for the determination of geographic regions of transmission that are relevant for human and animal health. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) working dogs provide critical security and detection services across the country, and many train or work in the southern United States, where they are at risk for exposure. We sampled blood from 1,610 working dogs (predominantly Belgian Malinois, German shepherds, and Labrador retrievers) from six task forces (including the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, Secret Service, and more) and two canine training centers across 41 states from 2015 to 2018. Canine sera that were reactive on at least two independent serological assays were considered positive for anti- antibodies. In addition, up to three independent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were used to detect and type DNA. Overall seroprevalence was 7.5%, and four dogs (0.25%, = 1,610) had detectable parasite DNA in the blood, comprising parasite discrete taxonomic units (DTUs) TcIV and a coinfection of TcI/TcIV. Dogs that worked within versus outside of the geographic range of established triatomines showed comparable seroprevalence (7.3% and 9.2%, respectively; = 0.61). Determining the prevalence of in these working dogs and looking at spatially associated risk factors have practical implications for disease risk management and could assist with improved control measures to protect both animal and human health.
是一种由分布于美洲的三锥虫传播的人畜共患原生动物寄生虫，包括美国南部。对家养犬进行暴露监测，可以确定与人类和动物健康相关的传播地理区域。美国国土安全部（DHS）的工作犬在全国范围内提供关键的安全和检测服务，许多工作犬在美国南部训练或工作，它们面临着暴露的风险。我们从 2015 年至 2018 年，从六个特别工作组（包括运输安全管理局、海关和边境保护局、特勤局等）和两个犬类训练中心，从 41 个州采集了 1610 只工作犬（主要是比利时玛利诺犬、德国牧羊犬和拉布拉多猎犬）的血液样本。至少两种独立血清学检测呈阳性的犬血清被认为对抗体呈阳性。此外，还使用了多达三种独立的聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测来检测和分型 DNA。总的血清阳性率为 7.5%，四只狗（0.25%，=1610）的血液中检测到可检测的寄生虫 DNA，包括寄生虫离散分类单元（DTU）TcIV 和 TcI/TcIV 的混合感染。在已建立的三锥虫地理范围内工作的犬与不在范围内工作的犬的血清阳性率相似（分别为 7.3%和 9.2%；=0.61）。确定这些工作犬中携带的流行情况，并观察与空间相关的风险因素，对疾病风险管理具有实际意义，并有助于改进控制措施，以保护动物和人类的健康。
