Williams G D, Adams L G, Yaeger R G, McGrath R K, Read W K, Bilderback W R
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1977 Jul 15;171(2):171-7.
Nine fatal cases of canine American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease) were encountered from November, 1972, through November, 1975. Of the 9 cases, 7 occurred in dogs from 5 central Texas counties, and all but one case was diagnosed during the months of September, October, or November. The source of infection was discovered in only one case--that being a doghouse heavily infested with Triatoma lectularius occulta. Each of 6 bugs collected had infective forms of the protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi. Trypanosomiasis usually is not considered in the differential clinical diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction in man or other mammals in the United States. An antemortem diagnosis was made in only 1 of the 9 dogs, with diagnosis in the remaining dogs being made at necropsy. The predominant microscopic lesion in all dogs was necrotizing granulomatous myocarditis associated with the amastigotes of T cruzi.
1972年11月至1975年11月期间，共发现9例犬美洲锥虫病（恰加斯病）致死病例。这9例病例中，7例发生在得克萨斯州中部5个县的犬只身上，除1例之外，所有病例均在9月、10月或11月确诊。仅在1例病例中发现了感染源，即一个被隐匿栖血锥蝽严重侵扰的狗窝。采集的6只锥蝽体内均有原生动物克氏锥虫的感染性形态。在美国，人类或其他哺乳动物心脏功能障碍的临床鉴别诊断通常不会考虑锥虫病。9只犬中只有1只在生前确诊，其余犬只均在尸检时确诊。所有犬只的主要微观病变为与克氏锥虫无鞭毛体相关的坏死性肉芽肿性心肌炎。
