Publications by authors named "L D Auckland"
Local health departments can play a critical role in zoonoses surveillance at the human-domestic animal interface, especially when existing public health services and close relationships with community groups can be leveraged. Investigators at Harris County Veterinary Public Health employed a community-based surveillance tool for identifying severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in dogs and cats in June--December 2021. Diagnosis was made using both RT-qPCR testing of oral and nasal swabs and plaque reduction neutralization testing of serum samples.
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- Flea-borne diseases like flea-borne typhus and cat scratch disease are increasingly common in Texas, highlighting the need to understand flea ecology for public health protection.
- A study in East Texas involved monthly trapping of mammals, resulting in 101 fleas collected predominantly from Virginia opossums, which had a high infestation rate of 79%.
- The research found that flea populations peaked in spring and identified pathogens in some mammals, suggesting that wildlife may play a significant role in maintaining these disease vectors.
Article Synopsis
- - This study aimed to analyze the relationship between heart problems and Trypanosoma cruzi serostatus in dogs by using a straightforward diagnostic process involving blood tests, ECGs, and echocardiograms in 46 dogs at high risk for infection.
- - The results showed that 19 dogs tested positive for T. cruzi antibodies, with some exhibiting heart issues like conduction abnormalities and echocardiographic changes, particularly myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD); older seropositive dogs were more likely to have these conditions.
- - The research concluded that while echocardiographic abnormalities alone didn’t help in determining seropositivity, simple tests like ECGs and cardiac troponin I assessments are effective
Apparent absence of Trypanosoma cruzi in Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) from Texas, USA.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports
June 2024
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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTriatomine 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.
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