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Trypanosoma cruzi infection leads to Chagas disease (CD), a neglected tropical infection of significant public health importance in South and Central America and other, non-endemic, countries. Pregnant women and their children are of particular importance to screen as T. cruzi can be transmitted vertically. The objective of this study was to screen for T. cruzi infection among pregnant women from endemic areas seen at the Hospital General de Mexico for prenatal care, so that they and their children may be quickly connected to CD treatment. Pregnant women were recruited through the hospital prenatal clinic and screened for T. cruzi infection using a series of serological and molecular tests. Of 150 screened patients, mean age 26.8 (SD 6.4), 30 (20.0%) were positive by at least one diagnostic test. Of these, only nine (6%) were positive as determined by PCR. Diagnosis of chronic CD is difficult in endemic places like Mexico due to the limitations of current commercially available diagnostic tests. Further evaluation of diagnostic performance of various assays could improve current CD diagnostic algorithms and proper care management in these regions. Genetic variability in the parasite may also play a role in the differing assay performances seen in this study, and this may be a valuable avenue of further research.

Aims To investigate whether FCN3 polymorphisms and circulating ficolin‐3 levels were associated with clinical forms of chronic Chagas disease (CD) and to assess their potential use as biomarkers for the disease or its severity. Methods and Results FCN3 polymorphisms (g.1637delC (rs532781899) in exon 5; g.3524_3532insTATTTGGCC (rs28362807) in intron 5 and g.4473C > A) (rs4494157) in intron 7) were determined in 178 chronic CD patients (65 asymptomatic, 68 cardiac, 21 digestive and 24 cardiodigestive), and 285 healthy controls by sequence‐specific PCR. Ficolin‐3 serum levels, measured by ELISA in 80 patients and 80 controls, did not differ between groups. On the other hand, ficolin‐3 levels were positively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (P = .002; r = .5), with lower levels associated with increased risk of cardiac insufficiency (P = .033; OR 7.21, 95%IC 1.17‐44.4). Ficolin‐3 levels were positively correlated with ficolin‐2 (P = .021; r = .63), and negatively with MBL (P = .002; r = −.36) and pentraxin‐3 (P = .04; r = −.32) levels. No significant results were observed for the investigated FCN3 polymorphisms and CD. The g.1637del/1637C heterozygotes presented lower ficolin‐3 levels than g.1637C/1637C homozygotes in the control group (P = .023). Conclusion Low ficolin‐3 levels may play a role in the pathophysiology of cardiac insufficiency associated with CD.

Street dogs survive on food handouts provided by individuals, or the wider community yet typically receive limited to no veterinary care. They can also carry a variety of zoonotic diseases such as rabies, posing a significant risk to human and dog population health. Dog sterilisation is one of the most humane and effective methods available to control street dog populations. Dog sterilisation programmes, particularly those operating at a large-scale, often face a variety of challenges including limited resources, staffing, and less-than-ideal facilities. Recordkeeping is often a challenge as well, which can complicate the return of a sterilised dog to their location of capture. Street dogs are territorial, and the return of a dog to an incorrect location is fraught with various welfare issues, as well as an increased risk of postoperative complications, including death. Humane Society International developed a mobile phone-based application called ‘HSIApps’ drawing on years of field experience and data collection in street dog location recording, as well as clinical and postoperative treatment. HSIApps facilitates the return of dogs back to their exact captured location, which ensures dog welfare, and generates reports of a variety of useful data variables to maximise the efficacy and reliability of sterilisation programmes.

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