Prevalence and Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in a Military Population in Texas

Abstract

Abstract.Recent biosurveillance findings at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA), a large military installation located in south-central Texas, indicate the potential for vector-borne human Chagas disease. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in highest risk subpopulations on the installation, including students and instructors who work and sleep in triatomine-endemic field settings. Real-time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay were performed on enrolled subjects (N = 1,033), none of whom tested positive for T. cruzi or anti-T. cruzi antibodies. Current countermeasures used during field training on JBSA appear to be sufficient for preventing autochthonous human Chagas disease.

Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in active military population of The Colombian National Army gathered in five departments

“…cruzi transmission during training or patrolling in endemic areas, has been proposed as an activity that allows improving the surveillance strategies that protect humans and canines belonging to military forces in endemic areas of T . cruzi [30, 31].…”

Current Gaps and Needs for Increasing Access to Healthcare for People with Chagas Disease in the USA

“…Surveillance of CD with the military first came about as a result of multiple military working dogs (MWDs) requiring medical attention attributable to cardiomyopathy, later diagnosed as CD. A study was then conducted to assess seroprevalance in MWDs, which was 8% among the MWDs housed and trained at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA-Lackland) in San Antonio, Texas [72,73]. Unpublished data from another study conducted on the same military base found that 57% (n = 75) of 131 triatomines collected were T. cruzi-positive, with 33% (n = 25) testing positive for human blood [74].…”

“…Additionally, this information also prompted an ongoing voluntary screening study at JBSA-Lackland to test basic military trainees (BMTs) at the beginning and end of their training sessions at the installation. This screening program, however, was implemented after protective measures were put into place, and there have not been any cases of transmission occurring on JBSA-Lackland to date [73]. It has been recommended that additional vector surveillance and testing for CD be conducted on military training installations throughout the southern USA in an effort to surveil training environments that may present hazardous exposure to our military populations.…”

Life history of two abundant populations ofDipetalogaster maximus(Uhler, 1894) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in northwestern Mexico

“…This species infected by T. cruzi has been collected inside domestic areas, as well as in piles of granitic rocks in the cape region of Baja California Sur State, Mexico (Jiménez and Palacios , Jiménez et al , Astorga et al ). The World Health Organization (), as well as the United States Army (Webber et al ) considered that travellers are at risk of exposure to blood‐sucking bugs when trekking, camping, or using poor‐quality accommodation. Dipetalogaster maximus is an aggressive triatomine and commonly leaves its shelter when hungry, even in daylight, to get a blood meal that includes human blood.…”