Apparent absence of Trypanosoma cruzi in Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) from Texas, USA.

The Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is one of the most abundant mammals in North America. Mexican free-tailed bats have a wide geographic range stretching from northern South America to the western United States. Bats are theorized to be the original hosts for Trypanosoma cruzi -the causative agent of Chagas disease- and can serve as a source of infection to triatomine insect vectors that feed upon them.

Abundant triatomines in Texas dog kennel environments: Triatomine collections, infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, and blood feeding hosts.

Triatomine insects are vectors of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi- the causative agent of Chagas disease. Chagas disease is endemic to Latin America and the southern United States and can cause severe cardiac damage in infected mammals, ranging from chronic disease to sudden death. Identifying interactions among triatomines, T.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF A NATURAL INFECTION WITH (CHAGAS DISEASE) IN A SYMPTOMATIC DE BRAZZA'S MONKEY () IN ALABAMA.

, the causative agent of Chagas disease, is a zoonotic, vector-borne, protozoan hemoflagellate with a wide host range. An 11-yr-old, captive-bred male De Brazza's monkey () presented with weight loss despite normal appetite. Examination revealed hypoglycemia, nonregenerative anemia, and many trypanosomes on a blood smear.

Frequency Variation and Dose Modification of Benznidazole Administration for the Treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Mice, Dogs, and Nonhuman Primates.

Trypanosoma cruzi naturally infects a broad range of mammalian species and frequently results in the pathology that has been most extensively characterized in human Chagas disease. Currently employed treatment regimens fail to achieve parasitological cure of T. cruzi infection in the majority of cases.

Frequency variation and dose modification of benznidazole administration for the treatment of infection in mice, dogs and non-human primates.

naturally infects a broad range of mammalian species and frequently results in the pathology that has been most extensively characterized in human Chagas disease. Currently employed treatment regimens fail to achieve parasitological cure of infection in the majority of cases. In this study, we have extended our previous investigations of more effective, higher dose, intermittent administration protocols using the FDA-approved drug benznidazole (BNZ), in experimentally infected mice and in naturally infected dogs and non-human primates (NHP).

Protozoal meningoencephalitis and myelitis in 4 dogs associated with infection.

American trypanosomiasis is caused by the zoonotic protozoa and primarily results in heart disease. Organisms also infect the central nervous system (CNS). The Texas A&M University veterinary teaching hospital archive was searched for dogs with CNS disease with intralesional protozoal amastigotes.

Prophylactic low-dose, bi-weekly benznidazole treatment fails to prevent Trypanosoma cruzi infection in dogs under intense transmission pressure.

Trypanosoma cruzi naturally infects a wide variety of wild and domesticated mammals, in addition to humans. Depending on the infection dose and other factors, the acute infection can be life-threatening, and in all cases, the risk of chagasic heart disease is high in persistently infected hosts. Domestic, working, and semi-feral dogs in the Americas are at significant risk of T.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies longer than 13 months in naturally infected, captive white-tailed deer (), Texas.

After identifying a captive herd of white-tailed deer in central Texas with >94% seroprevalence with SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in September 2021, we worked retrospectively through archived serum samples of 21 deer and detected seroconversion of all animals between December 2020 and January 2021. We then collected prospective samples to conclude that the duration of persistence of neutralizing antibodies is at least 13 months for 19 (90.5%) of the animals, with two animals converting to seronegative after six and eight months.

Characterization of triatomine bloodmeal sources using direct Sanger sequencing and amplicon deep sequencing methods.

Knowledge of host associations of blood-feeding vectors may afford insights into managing disease systems and protecting public health. However, the ability of methods to distinguish bloodmeal sources varies widely. We used two methods-Sanger sequencing and amplicon deep sequencing-to target a 228 bp region of the vertebrate Cytochrome b gene and determine hosts fed upon by triatomines (n = 115) collected primarily in Texas, USA.

No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Among Flies or Cockroaches in Households Where COVID-19 Positive Cases Resided.

Flies and other arthropods mechanically transmit multiple pathogens and a recent experimental study demonstrated house flies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), can mechanically transmit SARS-CoV-2. The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of mechanical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by domestic insects and their potential as a xenosurveillance tool for detection of the virus.

High Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at One of Three Captive Cervid Facilities in Texas.

Free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) across the United States are increasingly recognized for infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Through a cross-sectional study of 80 deer at three captive cervid facilities in central and southern Texas, we provide evidence of 34 of 36 (94.4%) white-tailed deer at a single captive cervid facility seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 by neutralization assay (PRNT), with endpoint titers as high as 1,280.

High incidence of Trypanosoma cruzi infections in dogs directly detected through longitudinal tracking at 10 multi-dog kennels, Texas, USA.

Canine Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is increasingly recognized as a health concern for dogs in the USA, and infected dogs may signal geographic regions of risk for human disease. Dogs living in multi-dog kennel environments (kennels with more than one dog) where triatomine vectors are endemic may be at high risk for infection. We monitored a cohort of 64 T.

SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Viral Isolations among Serially Tested Cats and Dogs in Households with Infected Owners in Texas, USA.

Understanding the ecological and epidemiological roles of pets in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for animal and human health, identifying household reservoirs, and predicting the potential enzootic maintenance of the virus. We conducted a longitudinal household transmission study of 76 dogs and cats living with at least one SARS-CoV-2-infected human in Texas and found that 17 pets from 25.6% of 39 households met the national case definition for SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals.

in a central Texas cat: clinical presentation, molecular identification, sandfly vector collection and novel management.

Case Summary: This case report documents the clinical appearance, diagnosis and novel treatment of a central Texas cat with cutaneous leishmaniosis. The cat presented with a linear erosion on the right pinnal margin, an ulcerated exophytic nodule on the right hock and a swelling in the right nostril. Cytological and histopathological findings were consistent with leishmaniosis.

Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Pathogens Among U.S. Government Working Dogs.

Surveillance of U.S. domestic dogs for exposure to vector-borne pathogens can identify regions of transmission that are relevant for human and animal health.

Natural SARS-CoV-2 infections, including virus isolation, among serially tested cats and dogs in households with confirmed human COVID-19 cases in Texas, USA.

The natural infections and epidemiological roles of household pets in SARS-CoV-2 transmission are not understood. We conducted a longitudinal study of dogs and cats living with at least one SARS-CoV-2 infected human in Texas and found 47.1% of 17 cats and 15.

Trypanosoma cruzi Genotype I and Toxoplasma gondii Co-infection in a Red-Necked Wallaby.

While the health effects of trypanosomes in Australian mammals in their native range are not fully understood, there is evidence of an impact in those species introduced to other geographical regions. Here we report the pathological and molecular features of concurrent fatal trypanosomiasis and toxoplasmosis in an adult female captive red-necked wallaby (syn. Bennett's wallaby; Macropus rufogriseus) from Bee County, Texas, USA.

Selected cardiac abnormalities in Trypanosoma cruzi serologically positive, discordant, and negative working dogs along the Texas-Mexico border.

Background: Chagas disease is increasingly recognized in the southern U.S., where triatomine vectors transmit Trypanosoma cruzi among wildlife and domestic dogs with occasional vector spillover to humans.

infections and associated pathology in urban-dwelling Virginia opossums ().

, a zoonotic protozoan parasite, infects a wide range of mammals. The southern United States has endemic sylvatic transmission cycles maintained by several species of wildlife and domestic dogs. We hypothesized that urban-dwelling opossums () in South Texas are infected with , and that tissue pathology would be associated with infection.

Nationwide Exposure of U.S. Working Dogs to the Chagas Disease Parasite, .

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.

Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and associated histologic findings in domestic cats (Felis catus).

Trypanosoma cruzi is a zoonotic protozoan parasite transmitted by triatomines that infects a wide range of mammals. South Texas is a hotspot for triatomines, T. cruzi-infected dogs and wildlife, and local transmission to humans also occurs.