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Peterson JK, Hoyos J, Bartlett CR, Gottdenker NL, Kunkel B, Murphy C, Alvarado A. First Report of Chagas Disease Vector Species Triatoma sanguisuga (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in Delaware. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 110:925-929. [PMID: 38531096 PMCID: PMC11066352 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In July and October 2023, two live triatomine bugs were found inside a home in New Castle County, Delaware. The bugs were identified as Triatoma sanguisuga, the most widespread triatomine bug species in the United States. Triatoma sanguisuga is a competent vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. The two specimens were tested via real-time PCR (qPCR) for infection with T. cruzi, and one of the specimens was positive. Despite T. sanguisuga being endemic to the area, attainment of accurate species identification and T. cruzi testing of the bugs required multiple calls to federal, state, private, and academic institutions over several months. This constitutes the first report of T. sanguisuga infected with T. cruzi in Delaware. In addition, this is the first published report of T. sanguisuga in New Castle County, the northernmost and most densely populated county in Delaware. New Castle County still conforms to the described geographic range of T. sanguisuga, which spans from Texas to the East Coast of the United States. The T. cruzi infection prevalence of the species has not been studied in the northeastern United States, but collections in southern states have found prevalences as high as 60%. The Delaware homeowner's lengthy pursuit of accurate information about the vector highlights the need for more research on this important disease vector in Delaware.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. Peterson
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Juliana Hoyos
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Charles R. Bartlett
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Nicole L. Gottdenker
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, Georgia
| | - Brian Kunkel
- University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Service, Newark, Delaware
| | - Carrie Murphy
- University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Service, Newark, Delaware
| | - Antonio Alvarado
- Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Dover, Delaware
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Pinto J, Skjefte M, Alonso-Padilla J, Lozano Beltran DF, Pinto LV, Casellas A, Arteaga Terrazas ME, Toledo Galindo KA, Challapa Quechover R, Escobar Caballero M, Perez Salinas A, Castellón Jimenez M, Sanz S, Gascón J, Torrico F, Pinazo MJ. Five-year serological and clinical evolution of chronic Chagas disease patients in Cochabamba, Bolivia. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011498. [PMID: 38157376 PMCID: PMC10756508 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected infectious disease that exerts the highest public health burden in the Americas. There are two anti-parasitic drugs approved for its treatment-benznidazole and nifurtimox-but the absence of biomarkers to early assess treatment efficacy hinders patients´ follow-up. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We conducted a longitudinal, observational study among a cohort of 106 chronically T. cruzi-infected patients in Cochabamba (Bolivia) who completed the recommended treatment of benznidazole. Participants were followed-up for five years, in which we collected clinical and serological data, including yearly electrocardiograms and optical density readouts from two ELISAs (total and recombinant antigens). Descriptive and statistical analyses were performed to understand trends in data, as well as the relationship between clinical symptoms and serological evolution after treatment. Our results showed that both ELISAs documented average declines up to year three and slight inclines for the following two years. The recorded clinical parameters indicated that most patients did not have any significant changes to their cardiac or digestive symptoms after treatment, at least in the timeframe under investigation, while a small percentage demonstrated either a regression or progression in symptoms. Only one participant met the "cure criterion" of a negative serological readout for both ELISAs by the final year. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The study confirms that follow-up of benznidazole-treated T. cruzi-infected patients should be longer than five years to determine, with current tools, if they are cured. In terms of serological evolution, the single use of a total antigen ELISA might be a more reliable measure and suffice to address infection status, at least in the region of Bolivia where the study was done. Additional work is needed to develop a test-of-cure for an early assessment of drugs´ efficacy with the aim of improving case management protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimy Pinto
- Fundación Ciencia y Estudios Aplicados para el Desarrollo en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CEADES), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Malia Skjefte
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Department of Global Health and Population, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Julio Alonso-Padilla
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Franz Lozano Beltran
- Fundación Ciencia y Estudios Aplicados para el Desarrollo en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CEADES), Cochabamba, Bolivia
- Universidad Mayor de San Simón, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Lilian Victoria Pinto
- Fundación Ciencia y Estudios Aplicados para el Desarrollo en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CEADES), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Aina Casellas
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mery Elena Arteaga Terrazas
- Fundación Ciencia y Estudios Aplicados para el Desarrollo en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CEADES), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | | | - Roxana Challapa Quechover
- Fundación Ciencia y Estudios Aplicados para el Desarrollo en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CEADES), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - María Escobar Caballero
- Fundación Ciencia y Estudios Aplicados para el Desarrollo en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CEADES), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Alejandra Perez Salinas
- Fundación Ciencia y Estudios Aplicados para el Desarrollo en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CEADES), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Mario Castellón Jimenez
- Fundación Ciencia y Estudios Aplicados para el Desarrollo en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CEADES), Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Sergi Sanz
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquim Gascón
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Faustino Torrico
- Fundación Ciencia y Estudios Aplicados para el Desarrollo en Salud y Medio Ambiente (CEADES), Cochabamba, Bolivia
- Universidad Mayor de San Simón, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - María Jesús Pinazo
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), Geneve, Switzerland
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Proaño A, Dumonteil E, Herrera C. Chagas Disease Diagnostic Testing in Two Academic Hospitals in New Orleans, Louisiana: A Call to Action. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8050277. [PMID: 37235325 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8050277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoa parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is an anthropozoonosis that represents a major public health problem in the Americas, affecting 7 million people with at least 65 million at risk. We sought to assess the intensity of disease surveillance based on diagnostic test requests from hospitals in New Orleans, Louisiana. We extracted information from send-out labs at two major tertiary academic hospitals in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, from 1 January 2018 to 1 December 2020. We found that in these three years there were 27 patients for whom Chagas disease testing was ordered. Most of these patients were male (70%), with a median age of 40 years old, and their most common ethnical background was Hispanic (74%). These findings demonstrate undertesting of this neglected disease in our region. Given the low Chagas disease surveillance, we need to increase awareness, health promotion, and education among healthcare workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Proaño
- Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Eric Dumonteil
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Vector-Borne and Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Claudia Herrera
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Vector-Borne and Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Our Current Understanding of Chagas Disease and Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in the State of Florida — an Update on Research in this Region of the USA. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-022-00261-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Chagas disease (CD) is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasite transmission primarily occurs through direct interaction with an infected triatomine insect vector (kissing bug), but other routes are known. We aim to review the literature and discuss the unique circumstances of CD in the US state of Florida.
Recent Findings
Florida is home to naturally occurring kissing bugs that are invading homes and harbor T. cruzi. The state is also home to a diverse population of immigrants from Chagas-endemic regions in Latin America. In the USA, Florida is the state with the third highest estimated burden of CD, although the true prevalence is unknown.
Summary
Chagas disease is a chronic infection that often remains silent for decades. Those who manifest chronic disease may eventually die from debilitating cardiac and/or gastrointestinal manifestations. Florida is an opportune region of the USA for the study of CD, due to the existence of endemic transmission cycles in addition to the burden among people born in Chagas-endemic regions.
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Pacheco GJ, Fulton L, Betancourt J, Shanmugam R, Granados PS. Geospatial analysis as a tool to identify target areas for Chagas disease education for healthcare providers. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:590. [PMID: 35788197 PMCID: PMC9252050 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07577-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas Disease (CD) is a neglected zoonotic disease of the Americas. It can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated in its early stages. Using geospatial and sensitivity analysis, this study focuses on understanding how to better allocate resources and educational information to areas in the United States, specifically Texas, that have the potential for increased risk of CD cases and the associated costs of addressing the disease. ICD-9 and 10 inpatient hospital diagnostic codes were used to illustrate the salience of potentially missed CD diagnoses (e.g., cardiomyopathic diagnoses) and where these are occurring with more frequency. Coding software along with GIS and Microsoft Excel 3D mapping were used to generate maps to illustrate where there may be a need for increased statewide surveillance and screening of populations at greater risk for CD. The CD cases reported to the Texas Department of State Healthcare Services (TxDSHS) are not homogenously dispersed throughout the state but rather, reveal that the incidences are in clusters and primarily in urban areas, where there is increased access to physician care, CD research and diagnostic capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo J Pacheco
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
| | - Lawrence Fulton
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Jose Betancourt
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Ram Shanmugam
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
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Mahoney West H, Milliren CE, Manne-Goehler J, Davis J, Gallegos J, Perez JH, Köhler JR. Effect of clinician information sessions on diagnostic testing for Chagas disease. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010524. [PMID: 35709253 PMCID: PMC9242495 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chagas disease is a potentially life-threatening neglected disease of poverty that is endemic in continental Latin America. Caused by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), it is one of six parasitic diseases in the United States targeted by the Centers for Disease Control as a public health problem in need of action. An estimated 300,000 people are infected with T. cruzi in the United States (US). Although its morbidity, mortality and economic burden are high, awareness of Chagas disease is lacking among many healthcare providers in the US. The purpose of this analysis is to determine if the number of diagnostic tests performed at a community health center serving an at-risk population for Chagas disease increased after information sessions. A secondary aim was to determine if there was a difference by provider type, i.e., nurse practitioner vs. physician, or by specialty in the number of patients screened. Methodology/Principal findings We conducted a retrospective data analysis of the number of Chagas serology tests performed at a community health center before and after information sessions for clinicians. A time series analysis was conducted focusing on the Adult and Family Medicine Departments at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC). Across all departments there were 1,957 T. cruzi tests performed before the sessions vs. 2,623 after the sessions. Interrupted time series analysis across departments indicated that testing volume was stable over time prior to the sessions (pre-period slope = +4.1 per month; p = 0.12), followed by an immediate shift after the session (+51.6; p = 0.03), while testing volume remained stable over time after the session (post-period slope = -6.0 per month; p = 0.11). Conclusion/Significance In this study, Chagas testing increased after information sessions. Clinicians who began testing their patients for Chagas disease after learning of the importance of this intervention added an extra, potentially time-consuming task to their already busy workdays without external incentives or recognition. Chagas disease is a potentially fatal neglected disease of poverty. It is endemic in continental Latin America with an estimated 300,000 cases in the United States, primarily among low-income people who have immigrated to the US from Latin America. Few Chagas screening programs have been established in the US. Existing recommendations for Chagas disease testing and treatment are rarely followed for many reasons including a paucity of knowledge among providers. We aimed to determine if the number of Chagas tests performed increased after information sessions at a community health center. A secondary aim was to determine if there was a difference in number of tests performed by provider type. We found that the number of T. cruzi serologies performed in the ten months after information sessions increased significantly over that in the ten preceding months. Chagas testing increased across departments, though Chagas diagnostics were an extra and unmitigated time burden on clinicians. Increasing provider knowledge is a major step to increase diagnosis and treatment of this neglected disease, when clinicians are motivated by their inherent prosocial preferences including altruism i.e., by the positive impact of their work on patients’ lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Mahoney West
- Division of Infectious Disease Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Carly E. Milliren
- Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Jillian Davis
- East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jaime Gallegos
- East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Juan Huanuco Perez
- East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Julia R. Köhler
- Division of Infectious Disease Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Clark EH, Marquez C, Whitman JD, Bern C. Screening for Chagas disease should be included in entry-to-care testing for at-risk people with HIV living in the United States. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 75:901-906. [PMID: 35180299 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease screening of at-risk populations is essential to identify infected individuals and facilitate timely treatment before end-organ damage occurs. Co-infected people with HIV (PWH) are at risk for dangerous sequelae, specifically Trypanosoma cruzi reactivation disease. Recently published national recommendations indicate that at-risk PWH, particularly those from endemic areas or born to women from endemic areas, should be screened via a sensitive anti-T. cruzi IgG assay. However, immunocompromised patients with negative serologic results may warrant further investigation. Reactivation should be suspected in at-risk, untreated PWH with low CD4 cell counts presenting with acute neurologic or cardiac symptoms; these patients should be promptly evaluated and treated. One pragmatic solution to improve Chagas disease screening among PWH and thereby reduce T. cruzi -related morbidity and mortality is to incorporate Chagas disease screening into the panel of tests routinely performed during the entry-to-care evaluation for at-risk PWH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva H Clark
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carina Marquez
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Whitman
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Caryn Bern
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Edwards MS, Montgomery SP. Congenital Chagas disease: progress toward implementation of pregnancy-based screening. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2021; 34:538-545. [PMID: 34292173 PMCID: PMC10203783 DOI: 10.1097/qco.0000000000000769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Lack of recognition of congenital Chagas disease in infants of mothers from endemic regions who are living in countries nonendemic for Trypanosoma cruzi infection suggests a high rate of underdiagnosis. Pregnancy is the optimal access point for identifying Chagas disease in at-risk mothers and their infants. In this review, we update progress toward implementation of pregnancy-based screening for congenital Chagas disease in nonendemic settings. RECENT FINDINGS International organizations have updated recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of congenital Chagas disease. Reports of successful implementation of pregnancy-based screening at some centers provide a model for optimizing diagnosis of congenital Chagas disease. Screening family members of index patients may identify additional T. cruzi-infected persons. Promising tests to augment current diagnostic modalities for maternal and congenital Chagas disease are in development. Universal or risk-based screening would be cost-effective. More healthcare providers are now aware that treatment of congenital Chagas disease is curative and are promoting efforts to make pregnancy-based screening for congenital Chagas disease a standard of care. SUMMARY Ongoing efforts to implement routine pregnancy-based screening for congenital Chagas disease in nonendemic regions will mutually benefit infants, their mothers and family members and can prevent potentially fatal Chagas cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morven S. Edwards
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas and
| | - Susan P. Montgomery
- Parasitic Diseases Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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