One Health Approach to Trypanosoma cruzi: Serological and Molecular Detection in Owners and Dogs Living on Oceanic Islands and Seashore Mainland of Southern Brazil

Abstract

Via a One Health approach, this study concomitantly assessed the susceptibility of humans and dogs to <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> infections on three islands and in two mainland seashore areas of southern Brazil. Human serum samples were tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect anti-<i>T. cruzi</i> antibodies, while dog serum samples were tested using indirect fluorescent antibodies in an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Seropositive human and dog individuals were also tested using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in corresponding blood samples. Overall, 2/304 (0.6%) human and 1/292 dog samples tested seropositive for <i>T. cruzi</i> by ELISA and IFA, respectively, and these cases were also molecularly positive for <i>T. cruzi</i> by qPCR. Although a relatively low positivity rate was observed herein, these cases were likely autochthonous, and the individuals may have been infected as a consequence of isolated events of disturbance in the natural peridomicile areas nearby. Such a disturbance could come in the form of a fire or deforestation event, which can cause stress and parasitemia in wild reservoirs and, consequently, lead to positive triatomines. In conclusion, <i>T. cruzi</i> monitoring should always be conducted in suspicious areas to ensure a Chagas disease-free status over time. Further studies should also consider entomological and wildlife surveillance to fully capture the transmission and spread of <i>T. cruzi</i> on islands and in seashore mainland areas of Brazil and other endemic countries.