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de Sousa Leite L, de Rezende Feres VC, Scalize PS. Predictor Variables in the Spread of Chagas Disease in Rural Areas. Pathogens 2024; 13:394. [PMID: 38787245 PMCID: PMC11124446 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13050394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Over a hundred years ago after the discovery of Chagas disease (CD) in Brazil, the World Health Organization estimates a number of 6 to 7 million people infected by Trypanosoma cruzi worldwide. Therefore, the goal of this work was to identify variables related to the spread of infection by T. cruzi in humans living in rural areas, seeking predictor variables. A systematic review of the literature has been conducted, with a search in the Scopus platform, using the search string "Chagas disease" and "rural", resulting in 85 valid and analyzed scientific studies (1977 and 2022). Twenty-seven predictor variables have been acquired, and 19 of them have been grouped, such as: socioeconomic and educational, housing, environmental, sanitary, and cultural; and 8 variables related to T. cruzi seropositive individuals. The predictor variables yielded significant results (p-value < 0.05) in 59.5% of the cases (195/328), with a median of 66.7%. In other words, studies relating to 50% of the 27 variables showed significance equal to or greater than 66.7% of the time. The independent variables with the highest proportion of significant data (p-value < 0.05) were Education (87.6%), Intradomicile building (70%), Domestic animals (69.6%), and Triatomines (69.2%) in the households. Some variables reached 100%; however, few articles were found, indicating the need for further research, especially for Sanitation and Culture. It has been concluded that, in the several contexts found, the social vulnerability and lack of information led the individual to living in environments where inhabitability is inadequate, to perform limited work activity and develop habits and behaviors which impair them in an environmental insalubrity situation, favorable to the access of vectors and pathogens of anthropozoonoses such as CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liziana de Sousa Leite
- Post-Graduation Program in Environmental Sciences (CIAMB), Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-170, Brazil;
| | | | - Paulo Sérgio Scalize
- Post-Graduation Program in Environmental Sciences (CIAMB) and the Post-Graduation Program in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (PPGEAS), Federal University of Goiás, Goiania 74605-170, Brazil
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Chaves LF, Friberg MD, Pascual M, Calzada JE, Luckhart S, Bergmann LR. Community-serving research addressing climate change impacts on vector-borne diseases. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e334-e341. [PMID: 38729673 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00049-4] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The impacts of climate change on vector-borne diseases are uneven across human populations. This pattern reflects the effect of changing environments on the biology of transmission, which is also modulated by social and other inequities. These disparities are also linked to research outcomes that could be translated into tools for transmission reduction, but are not necessarily actionable in the communities where transmission occurs. The transmission of vector-borne diseases could be averted by developing research that is both hypothesis-driven and community-serving for populations affected by climate change, where local communities interact as equal partners with scientists, developing and implementing research projects with the aim of improving community health. In this Personal View, we share five principles that have guided our research practice to serve the needs of communities affected by vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Fernando Chaves
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Department of Geography, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panama.
| | - Mariel D Friberg
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Earth Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Mercedes Pascual
- Department of Biology and Department of Environmental Studies, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jose E Calzada
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panama
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Luke R Bergmann
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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3
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Nogueira de Brito R, Tanner S, Runk JV, Hoyos J. Looking through the lens of social science approaches: A scoping review of leishmaniases and Chagas disease research. Acta Trop 2024; 249:107059. [PMID: 37918504 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Scholars have called for increased attention to sociocultural, economic, historical, and political processes shaping Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) ecology. We conducted a scoping review to identify major research themes and the knowledge gaps in social science literature in leishmaniases or Chagas disease (CD). Following the scoping review protocol, we first determined the focus of the review to be centered on identifying research that approaches leishmaniases and CD from social science perspective and was indexed by large, biomedically focused databases. We then searched PubMed and Web of Science using "Leishmaniasis" and "Chagas disease" with "social science" or "anthropology" as search terms. We analyzed 199 articles (123 on leishmaniases and 76 on CD), categorizing them into three main research themes. Sociocultural dimensions of the diseases (leishmaniases=60.2 %; CD=68.4 %) primarily focused on individuals' knowledge, practices, and behaviors, barriers to accessing healthcare (especially in endemic regions), psychosocial effects, stigma, and traditional treatments. Research focused on socioeconomic dimensions of the diseases (leishmaniases=29.3 %; CD=19.7 %) included topics like household characteristics, social capital, and infrastructure access. A final theme, the historical and political contexts of the diseases (Leishmaniases=10.5 %; CD=11.9 %) was less common than other themes. Here, studies consider civil war and the (re)emergence of leishmaniasis, as well as the significance of CD discovery for scientific and public health in Brazil, which is the most common country for research on both leishmaniases and CD that draws on social science approaches. Future directions for research include focusing on how social institutions and economic factors shape diseases education, control measures, healthcare access, and quality of life of people affected by NTDs. Greater attention to social sciences can help mitigate and undo the ways that structural biases have infiltrated biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raíssa Nogueira de Brito
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States; Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States.
| | - Susan Tanner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Julie Velásquez Runk
- Environment and Sustainability Studies Program, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 27109, United States; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ciudad de Panamá 0843-03092, Republic of Panama
| | - Juliana Hoyos
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
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4
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Dorn PL, Monroy MC, Stevens L. Sustainable, integrated control of native vectors: The case of Chagas disease in Central America. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.971000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite successes in reducing transmission, Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) remains the greatest economic burden of any parasitic disease in Latin America afflicting mostly the poor and further contributing to poverty. We review a long-term (2001-2022), integrated Ecohealth approach that addresses sustainable development goals to reduce risk of Chagas transmission by the main native vector in Central America, Triatoma dimidiata, s.l. The basis of the Ecohealth intervention was the identification of the risk factors for house infestation, an understanding of and collaboration with local communities, and genetic and proteomic studies that revealed the epidemiology and mechanisms of the rapid reinfestation seen following insecticide application. We review the development of this approach from a pilot project in two Guatemalan villages, to an expanded initiative across three countries with vastly different ecology, cultures, and municipal organization, and finally development of a multi-institutional, large-scale project to develop a strategy to tackle the remaining hot spots in Central America. This integrated Ecohealth approach resulted in reduced risk of transmission as measured by a sustained decrease in house infestation without further use of insecticides, a reduction in vectors with human blood meals and the Chagas parasite, as well as other health and economic benefits. We discuss lessons learned and how this approach could be applied to other vector-borne diseases.
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Pereira FM, Penados D, Dorn PL, Alcántara B, Monroy MC. The long-term impact of an Ecohealth intervention: Entomological data suggest the interruption of Chagas disease transmission in southeastern Guatemala. Acta Trop 2022; 235:106655. [PMID: 35977598 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Triatoma dimidiata is the main vector of Chagas disease in southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. As a native vector, it moves readily among domestic, peri-domestic and sylvatic environments, making it difficult to control only using insecticide as this requires regular application, and re-infestation frequently occurs. Other social innovation alternatives such as those based on Ecohealth principles can be used to tackle the dynamics of the disease in an integral way. We asked whether an Ecohealth intervention, implemented beginning in 2001 in a highly infested village, 41.8%, in southeastern Guatemala, was sustainable in the long term. This intervention included initial insecticide treatments, followed by making low-cost house improvements to eliminate transmission risk factors such as repairing cracked walls, covering dirt floors with a cement-like substance and moving domestic animals outside. We assessed the long-term sustainability through entomological and house condition surveys, as well as an analysis of community satisfaction. We found over a 19-year period, infestation with T. dimidiata was reduced to 2.2% and maintained at a level below the level (8%) where vector transmission is unlikely. This long-term maintenance of low infestation coincided with a large proportion of villagers (88.6%) improving their houses and completing other aspects of the Ecohealth approach to maintain the village at low risk for Chagas transmission. There was unanimous satisfaction among the villagers with their houses, following improvements using the Ecohealth method, which likely played a role in the long-term persistence of the modifications. Although the infestation has remained low, 11 years following the last intervention and as the population grew there has been an increase in the proportion of "at-risk" houses, to 33%, pointing out the necessity of maintaining vigilance. The Ecohealth approach is a low-cost, sustainable approach for the long-term control of vector-borne Chagas disease. We recommend this approach including ongoing community monitoring and institutional response for the long-term, integrated control of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredy Manolo Pereira
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala.
| | - Daniel Penados
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Patricia L Dorn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
| | - Belter Alcántara
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - María Carlota Monroy
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala
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Rodríguez MS, Nitahara Y, Cornejo M, Siliezar K, Grande R, González A, Tasaki K, Nakagama Y, Michimuko Y, Onizuka Y, Nakajima-Shimada J, Romero JE, Palacios JR, Arias CE, Mejía W, Kido Y, Cardona Alvarenga R. Re-emerging threat of Trypanosoma cruzi vector transmission in El Salvador, update from 2018 to 2020. Infect Dis Poverty 2022; 11:89. [PMID: 35945552 PMCID: PMC9361614 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-01008-5] [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: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Since the late twentieth century, Chagas disease gained global attention to suppress the vector burden as a main control strategy in endemic countries. In Central America, multi-national initiative successfully achieved significant reduction in the estimated disease prevalence as well as elimination of the region’s principal vector species at the time in 2012. While the last decade has witnessed significant changes in ecosystem—such as urbanization and replacement of the main vector species—that can possibly affect the vector’s habitation and residual transmission, the up-to-date vector burden in the region has not been evaluated thoroughly due to the cessation of active vector surveillance. The aim of this study was to update the risk of vector-borne Trypanosoma cruzi infection in El Salvador, the top Chagas disease-endemic country in Central America. Methods A nationwide vector survey was conducted in the domestic environment of El Salvador from September 2018 to November 2020. The selection of the houses for inspection was based on expert purposeful sampling. Infection for T. cruzi was examined by microscopic observation of the insects’ feces, followed by a species confirmation using PCR. The data were analyzed using R software version 4.1.3. Proportion estimates with 95% confidence intervals were inferred using the Jeffrey’s method provided under the epiR package. Results A total of 1529 Triatoma dimidiata was captured from 107 houses (infestation rate, 34.4%; 107/311) in all the fourteen departments of the country visited within the period; prevalence of T. cruzi infection was as high as 10% (153/1529). In the country, domestic T. dimidiata infestation was distributed ubiquitously, while T. cruzi infection rates varied across the departments. Five out of fourteen departments showed higher infection rates than the average, suggesting sporadic high-risk areas in the country. Conclusions Our comprehensive study revealed substantial T. cruzi infection of T. dimidiata across the country, indicating potential active transmission of the disease. Therefore, strengthened surveillance for both vector and human infection is required to truly eliminate the risk of T. cruzi transmission in Central America. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-022-01008-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Stanley Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Salud, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Yuko Nitahara
- Department of Virology and Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.,Research Center for Infectious Disease Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Michelle Cornejo
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Salud, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Kevin Siliezar
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Salud, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Rafael Grande
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Salud, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Ana González
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Salud, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Kotaro Tasaki
- Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yu Nakagama
- Department of Virology and Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.,Research Center for Infectious Disease Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Yu Michimuko
- Department of Virology and Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.,Research Center for Infectious Disease Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Yoko Onizuka
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Gunma University, 3-39-22 Showamachi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8514, Japan
| | - Junko Nakajima-Shimada
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Gunma University, 3-39-22 Showamachi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8514, Japan
| | | | - José Ricardo Palacios
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Salud, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Carmen Elena Arias
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - William Mejía
- Ministerio de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | - Yasutoshi Kido
- Department of Virology and Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. .,Research Center for Infectious Disease Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.
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Case BKM, Young JG, Penados D, Monroy C, Hébert-Dufresne L, Stevens L. Spatial epidemiology and adaptive targeted sampling to manage the Chagas disease vector Triatoma dimidiata. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010436. [PMID: 35653307 PMCID: PMC9162375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Widespread application of insecticide remains the primary form of control for Chagas disease in Central America, despite only temporarily reducing domestic levels of the endemic vector Triatoma dimidiata and having little long-term impact. Recently, an approach emphasizing community feedback and housing improvements has been shown to yield lasting results. However, the additional resources and personnel required by such an intervention likely hinders its widespread adoption. One solution to this problem would be to target only a subset of houses in a community while still eliminating enough infestations to interrupt disease transfer. Here we develop a sequential sampling framework that adapts to information specific to a community as more houses are visited, thereby allowing us to efficiently find homes with domiciliary vectors while minimizing sampling bias. The method fits Bayesian geostatistical models to make spatially informed predictions, while gradually transitioning from prioritizing houses based on prediction uncertainty to targeting houses with a high risk of infestation. A key feature of the method is the use of a single exploration parameter, α, to control the rate of transition between these two design targets. In a simulation study using empirical data from five villages in southeastern Guatemala, we test our method using a range of values for α, and find it can consistently select fewer homes than random sampling, while still bringing the village infestation rate below a given threshold. We further find that when additional socioeconomic information is available, much larger savings are possible, but that meeting the target infestation rate is less consistent, particularly among the less exploratory strategies. Our results suggest new options for implementing long-term T. dimidiata control. Effective public health interventions for the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases require an efficient use of resources while still causing long-term disease reduction at the community level. To use resources to best effect, areas most in need of control efforts must be identified. However, strategies for correctly identifying these areas are rarely known due to the complex environmental, biological, and cultural factors shaping disease spread. In turn, incorrect prioritization of control targets can cause the intervention to have no lasting effect. We address this tradeoff between efficiency and efficacy by adapting control priorities throughout an intervention, targeting areas of high uncertainty during the initial stages while shifting to areas of greatest risk at later stages. In the context of controlling Triatoma dimidiata, the primary vector of Chagas disease in several countries in Latin America, our methods provide a means of targeting only a subset of homes for insecticide and housing improvements, while still reducing a village’s overall infestation rate below the critical threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. K. M. Case
- Vermont Complex Systems Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jean-Gabriel Young
- Vermont Complex Systems Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Daniel Penados
- Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Carlota Monroy
- Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Laurent Hébert-Dufresne
- Vermont Complex Systems Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Lori Stevens
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
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Monroy MC, Penados D, Pineda J, Ruiz EL, Agreda EO, Alcantara B, Rodas A, Lange K, Weinberg D, Bazzani R, Marchiol A, Herazo R, Agrelo RS, Abril M, Chuit R. A multidisciplinary, collaborative, inter-agency and comprehensive approach for the control of Chagas Disease as a public health problem in Guatemala. Acta Trop 2022; 225:106157. [PMID: 34634265 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has defined Chagas Disease hotspots in Central America associated with the vector Triatoma spp. Triatoma dimidiata is a native vector adapted to multiple environments, including intra-domestic and peri-domestic habitats. A multi-institutional project named "Alliances for the elimination of Chagas in Central America" was created to help reduce the incidence of the disease in the region. Activities performed in the field as part of the project included aspects of vector surveillance and control, improvement of houses, diagnosis and treatment of individuals, health promotion, training of human resources and identification of access barriers to diagnosis and treatment. As a base line study, eleven villages, comprised of 1,572 households, were entomologically evaluated (83.4% overall participation); five were found to have very high infestation rates (>20%), three had high infestation rates (8-20%) and three had low-infestation rates (<8%), coinciding with the category of infestation-risk of the houses within each village. Serological tests were carried out in 812 people (>80% participation) in two of the 11 villages and none of the 128 children tested, less than 5 years of age, were positive for Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Community participation in all the activities was high (>70%). The collaboration between several subnational, national, and international institutions, each with specific roles, promoted community participation in the activities of vector control and patient care, thus, establishing a baseline to continue implementing and monitoring project progress.
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Assessing risk of vector transmission of Chagas disease through blood source analysis using LC-MS/MS for hemoglobin sequence identification. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262552. [PMID: 35073364 PMCID: PMC8786159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is mainly transmitted by triatomine insect vectors that feed on vertebrate blood. The disease has complex domiciliary infestation patterns and parasite transmission dynamics, influenced by biological, ecological, and socioeconomic factors. In this context, feeding patterns have been used to understand vector movement and transmission risk. Recently, a new technique using Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) targeting hemoglobin peptides has showed excellent results for understanding triatomines' feeding patterns. The aim of this study was to further develop the automated computational analysis pipeline for peptide sequence taxonomic identification, enhancing the ability to analyze large datasets data. We then used the enhanced pipeline to evaluate the feeding patterns of Triatoma dimidiata, along with domiciliary infestation risk variables, such as unkempt piles of firewood or construction material, cracks in bajareque and adobe walls and intradomiciliary animals. Our new python scripts were able to detect blood meal sources in 100% of the bugs analyzed and identified nine different species of blood meal sources. Human, chicken, and dog were the main blood sources found in 78.7%, 50.4% and 44.8% of the bugs, respectively. In addition, 14% of the bugs feeding on chicken and 15% of those feeding on dogs were captured in houses with no evidence of those animals being present. This suggests a high mobility among ecotopes and houses. Two of the three main blood sources, dog and chicken, were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by domiciliary infestation risk variables, including cracks in walls, construction material and birds sleeping in the intradomicile. This suggests that these variables are important for maintaining reproducing Triatoma dimidiata populations and that it is critical to mitigate these variables in all the houses of a village for effective control of these mobile vectors.
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Carmona-Galindo VD, Sheppard CC, Bastin ML, Kehrig MR, Marín-Recinos MF, Choi JJ, Castañeda de Abrego V. Chromatic and Morphological Differentiation of Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) with Land Use Diversity in El Salvador. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060753. [PMID: 34198542 PMCID: PMC8231922 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted by insect-vectors in the taxonomic subfamily Triatominae and affects approximately 8,000,000 people world-wide. Current mitigation strategies for Chagas focus on insecticides, infrastructure improvements, and management of symptoms, which are largely unsustainable in underserved communities where the disease is widespread. Transmission patterns of vector-borne diseases are known to adaptively respond to habitat change; as such, the objective of our study was to evaluate how the physical characteristics of Triatoma dimidiata would vary in relation to land use in El Salvador. We hypothesized that the color and morphology of T. dimidiata would change with municipal levels of urban and natural green space, natural green space, and agricultural space, as well as municipal diversity, richness, and evenness of land use types. Our results characterize how T. dimidiata color and morphology vary directly with anthropogenic changes to natural and agricultural environments, which are reflective of a highly adaptable population primed to respond to environmental change. Mitigation studies of Chagas disease should exploit the relationships between anthropogenic land use and T. dimidiata morphology to evaluate how the transmission pattern of T. cruzi and Chagas disease symptomology are impacted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor D. Carmona-Galindo
- Biology Department, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI 48221, USA; (C.C.S.); (M.L.B.); (M.R.K.)
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Salud, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador CP1101, El Salvador;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-313-993-1182
| | - Claire C. Sheppard
- Biology Department, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI 48221, USA; (C.C.S.); (M.L.B.); (M.R.K.)
| | - Madelyn L. Bastin
- Biology Department, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI 48221, USA; (C.C.S.); (M.L.B.); (M.R.K.)
| | - Megan R. Kehrig
- Biology Department, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI 48221, USA; (C.C.S.); (M.L.B.); (M.R.K.)
| | | | - Joyce J. Choi
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Vianney Castañeda de Abrego
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Salud, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador CP1101, El Salvador;
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Nolan MS, Murray KO, Mejia R, Hotez PJ, Villar Mondragon MJ, Rodriguez S, Palacios JR, Murcia Contreras WE, Lynn MK, Torres ME, Monroy Escobar MC. Elevated Pediatric Chagas Disease Burden Complicated by Concomitant Intestinal Parasites and Malnutrition in El Salvador. Trop Med Infect Dis 2021; 6:tropicalmed6020072. [PMID: 34067079 PMCID: PMC8167768 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed6020072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The eradication of the vector Rhodnius prolixus from Central America was heralded as a victory for controlling transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. While public health officials believed this milestone achievement would effectively eliminate Chagas disease, case reports of acute vector transmission began amassing within a few years. This investigation employed a cross-sectional serosurvey of children either presenting with fever for clinical care or children living in homes with known triatomine presence in the state of Sonsonate, El Salvador. Over the 2018 calendar year, a 2.3% Chagas disease seroprevalence among children with hotspot clustering in Nahuizalco was identified. Positive serology was significantly associated with dogs in the home, older participant age, and a higher number of children in the home by multivariate regression. Concomitant intestinal parasitic infection was noted in a subset of studied children; 60% having at least one intestinal parasite and 15% having two or more concomitant infections. Concomitant parasitic infection was statistically associated with an overall higher parasitic load detected in stool by qPCR. Lastly, a four-fold higher burden of stunting was identified in the cohort compared to the national average, with four-fifths of mothers reporting severe food insecurity. This study highlights that polyparasitism is common, and a systems-based approach is warranted when treating Chagas disease seropositive children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa S. Nolan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (M.K.L.); (M.E.T.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (K.O.M.); (R.M.); (P.J.H.); (M.J.V.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-803-777-8932
| | - Kristy O. Murray
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (K.O.M.); (R.M.); (P.J.H.); (M.J.V.M.)
| | - Rojelio Mejia
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (K.O.M.); (R.M.); (P.J.H.); (M.J.V.M.)
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (K.O.M.); (R.M.); (P.J.H.); (M.J.V.M.)
| | - Maria Jose Villar Mondragon
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Tropical Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (K.O.M.); (R.M.); (P.J.H.); (M.J.V.M.)
| | - Stanley Rodriguez
- Center of Health Investigation and Discovery (CENSALUD), University of El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador; (S.R.); (J.R.P.)
| | - Jose Ricardo Palacios
- Center of Health Investigation and Discovery (CENSALUD), University of El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador; (S.R.); (J.R.P.)
| | | | - M. Katie Lynn
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (M.K.L.); (M.E.T.)
| | - Myriam E. Torres
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (M.K.L.); (M.E.T.)
| | - Maria Carlota Monroy Escobar
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Biology, University of San Carlos, Guatemala City, Guatemala;
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Rethinking the old hypothesis that new housing construction has an impact on the vector control of Triatoma infestans: A metapopulation analysis. Acta Trop 2020; 212:105717. [PMID: 32966842 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is a hematophagous insect, vector of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, etiological agent of the Chagas disease. In the south of La Rioja, Argentina, the persistent infestation by triatomines encouraged a program of construction of brand new dwellings in rural areas since 2008, to reduce infestation. According to the metapopulation theory approach, each dwelling was considered to be a patch with different degrees of quality concerning the availability of shelters for T. infestans. Accordingly, brand new dwellings (BNDs) are considered of lower quality for triatomines, compared to traditional dwellings (TDs). The main objective of this study was to analyse the occupancy in patches of different quality and to evaluate the effect of BNDs in the control of T. infestans. 397 patches from three departments of the southern part of La Rioja province were analysed during the period from 2014 to 2017. Six samplings were carried out to estimate the occupancy by T. infestans in patches assigned with different qualities. During the studied period, changes in the occupancy status of the patches among samplings were recorded, and the metapopulation variables which affect the occupancy of T. infestans were analysed. The results showed that all patches, even those considered of lower quality and smaller size, were occupied by T. infestans in a range from 3.8% to 25.5%. In general, the probability of T. infestans occupancy among samplings showed no difference among all studied patches. The occupancy of patches by T. infestans was associated with "department", "number of patches" and "number of positive patches in the radius of 400 m" (analysis GEE models). However, "patch quality", "size", and "distance" showed no effect on T. infestans occupancy. 44.1% of patches with BND were occupied at least once during the study period. Some of these showed "persistent occupancy" by T. infestans. No differences in the T. infestans occupancy between BNDs and TDs were observed. These results allowed us to analyse the impact of the new housing construction as a vector control measure in the metapopulation context of La Rioja province.
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Mills RM. Chagas Disease: Epidemiology and Barriers to Treatment. Am J Med 2020; 133:1262-1265. [PMID: 32592664 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Chronic human infection by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, known as Chagas disease, results in heart failure and death in 20%-30% of affected individuals. Recognition and treatment of the infection are difficult. Disease control requires elimination of the vector, the reduviid bug, that infests housing of poor quality in endemic areas. In South America, control has largely succeeded in the Southern Cone countries-Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, southern Brazil and São Paulo, and Paraguay-but lags severely in the Northern Triangle (Central American) countries: El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Surges in poverty and violence in Central America have increased immigration of persons at risk for Chagas disease to the United States, and immigrants to the United States with Chagas disease face multiple barriers to obtaining effective care. These include issues with financing and payment for health care, limited effectiveness of screening and diagnosis, limited effectiveness of available treatment, and lack of provider awareness, public health education, and research. Each of these barriers presents a unique public health challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger M Mills
- Vice President, Clinical Development, Renova Therapeutics, Inc., Carlsbad, CA.
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Penados D, Pineda J, Catalan M, Avila M, Stevens L, Agreda E, Monroy C. Infestation dynamics of Triatoma dimidiata in highly deforested tropical dry forest regions of Guatemala. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2020; 115:e200203. [PMID: 33146245 PMCID: PMC7592497 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760200203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deforestation, driven by anthropogenic change in land use, influences the behaviour and abundance of vector-borne diseases. For various species of Chagas disease vectors, there is evidence that change in land use affects population density and abundance. Triatoma dimidiata is the most important Chagas vector in Guatemala, and at least one million people live in T. dimidiata endemic areas; however, infestation dynamics vary among regions, from high infestation with all life stages to low seasonal infestation by sylvatic adults. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate how land-use, combined with domiciliary risk factors, influences the infestation dynamics of T. dimidiata for four villages in a dry forest region with a strong deforestation history. METHODS Land use, measured with drone and satellite images, was classified into four categories (houses, monocultures and pastures, woodland and shrubland, and bare soil). Domiciliary risk factors and infestation were assessed through entomological surveys. Statistical analyses compared infestation indices and the ability of land use and domiciliary risk factors to explain infestation. FINDINGS Two villages had significantly higher infestation (26 and 30% vs. 5 and 6%), yet all villages had high colonisation (71-100% of infested houses had immature insects), with no significant difference among them. Because of the high level of deforestation across the study area, land use was not related to infestation; however, domiciliary risk factors were. A model based on four weighted domiciliary risk factors (adobe or bajareque walls, intradomicile animals, intradomicile clutter, and dirt floors) explains the infestation risk. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Because almost all infested houses have reproducing populations in this deforested dry forest region and statistical analysis identified the domiciliary risk factors for infestation, intermediate and long-term control of Chagas disease vectors in this region requires management of these risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Penados
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - José Pineda
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Michelle Catalan
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, Escuela de Biología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Miguel Avila
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Centros de Estudios Conservacionistas, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Lori Stevens
- University of Vermont, Department of Biology, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Emmanuel Agreda
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Carlota Monroy
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
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15
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Chan EYY, Sham TST, Shahzada TS, Dubois C, Huang Z, Liu S, Hung KK, Tse SL, Kwok KO, Chung PH, Kayano R, Shaw R. Narrative Review on Health-EDRM Primary Prevention Measures for Vector-Borne Diseases. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E5981. [PMID: 32824754 PMCID: PMC7459832 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17165981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is expanding the global at-risk population for vector-borne diseases (VBDs). The World Health Organization (WHO) health emergency and disaster risk management (health-EDRM) framework emphasises the importance of primary prevention of biological hazards and its value in protecting against VBDs. The framework encourages stakeholder coordination and information sharing, though there is still a need to reinforce prevention and recovery within disaster management. This keyword-search based narrative literature review searched databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase and Medline between January 2000 and May 2020, and identified 134 publications. In total, 10 health-EDRM primary prevention measures are summarised at three levels (personal, environmental and household). Enabling factor, limiting factors, co-benefits and strength of evidence were identified. Current studies on primary prevention measures for VBDs focus on health risk-reduction, with minimal evaluation of actual disease reduction. Although prevention against mosquito-borne diseases, notably malaria, has been well-studied, research on other vectors and VBDs remains limited. Other gaps included the limited evidence pertaining to prevention in resource-poor settings and the efficacy of alternatives, discrepancies amongst agencies' recommendations, and limited studies on the impact of technological advancements and habitat change on VBD prevalence. Health-EDRM primary prevention measures for VBDs require high-priority research to facilitate multifaceted, multi-sectoral, coordinated responses that will enable effective risk mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Ying Yang Chan
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (Z.H.); (S.L.); (K.K.C.H.)
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX37BN, UK
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (T.S.T.S.); (T.S.S.); (S.L.A.T.); (K.O.K.); (P.-H.C.)
- GX Foundation, Hong Kong SAR, China;
- Accident & Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tiffany Sze Tung Sham
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (T.S.T.S.); (T.S.S.); (S.L.A.T.); (K.O.K.); (P.-H.C.)
- GX Foundation, Hong Kong SAR, China;
| | - Tayyab Salim Shahzada
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (T.S.T.S.); (T.S.S.); (S.L.A.T.); (K.O.K.); (P.-H.C.)
- GX Foundation, Hong Kong SAR, China;
| | | | - Zhe Huang
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (Z.H.); (S.L.); (K.K.C.H.)
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (T.S.T.S.); (T.S.S.); (S.L.A.T.); (K.O.K.); (P.-H.C.)
| | - Sida Liu
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (Z.H.); (S.L.); (K.K.C.H.)
- GX Foundation, Hong Kong SAR, China;
| | - Kevin K.C. Hung
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (Z.H.); (S.L.); (K.K.C.H.)
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (T.S.T.S.); (T.S.S.); (S.L.A.T.); (K.O.K.); (P.-H.C.)
- Accident & Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shelly L.A. Tse
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (T.S.T.S.); (T.S.S.); (S.L.A.T.); (K.O.K.); (P.-H.C.)
| | - Kin On Kwok
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (T.S.T.S.); (T.S.S.); (S.L.A.T.); (K.O.K.); (P.-H.C.)
| | - Pui-Hong Chung
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; (T.S.T.S.); (T.S.S.); (S.L.A.T.); (K.O.K.); (P.-H.C.)
| | - Ryoma Kayano
- World Health Organization Centre for Health Development, Kobe 651-0073, Japan;
| | - Rajib Shaw
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan;
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16
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Hanley JP, Rizzo DM, Stevens L, Helms Cahan S, Dorn PL, Morrissey LA, Rodas AG, Orantes LC, Monroy C. Novel Evolutionary Algorithm Identifies Interactions Driving Infestation of Triatoma dimidiata, a Chagas Disease Vector. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 103:735-744. [PMID: 32524965 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is a lethal, neglected tropical disease. Unfortunately, aggressive insecticide-spraying campaigns have not been able to eliminate domestic infestation of Triatoma dimidiata, the native vector in Guatemala. To target interventions toward houses most at risk of infestation, comprehensive socioeconomic and entomologic surveys were conducted in two towns in Jutiapa, Guatemala. Given the exhaustively large search space associated with combinations of risk factors, traditional statistics are limited in their ability to discover risk factor interactions. Two recently developed statistical evolutionary algorithms, specifically designed to accommodate risk factor interactions and heterogeneity, were applied to this large combinatorial search space and used in tandem to identify sets of risk factor combinations associated with infestation. The optimal model includes 10 risk factors in what is known as a third-order disjunctive normal form (i.e., infested households have chicken coops AND deteriorated bedroom walls OR an accumulation of objects AND dirt floors AND total number of occupants ≥ 5 AND years of electricity ≥ 5 OR poor hygienic condition ratings AND adobe walls AND deteriorated walls AND dogs). Houses with dirt floors and deteriorated walls have been reported previously as risk factors and align well with factors currently targeted by Ecohealth interventions to minimize infestation. However, the tandem evolutionary algorithms also identified two new socioeconomic risk factors (i.e., households having many occupants and years of electricity ≥ 5). Identifying key risk factors may help with the development of new Ecohealth interventions and/or reduce the survey time needed to identify houses most at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Hanley
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Donna M Rizzo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Lori Stevens
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Sara Helms Cahan
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Patricia L Dorn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Leslie A Morrissey
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Antonieta Guadalupe Rodas
- Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Escuela de Biología, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
| | - Lucia C Orantes
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Carlota Monroy
- Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Escuela de Biología, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
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Carmona-Galindo VD, Marín Recinos MF, Gámez Hidalgo SA, Recinos Paredes G, Posada Vaquerano EE, Romero Magaña AL, Castillo Ayala AK. Morphological variability and ecological characterization of the Chagas disease vector Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in El Salvador. Acta Trop 2020; 205:105392. [PMID: 32061627 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
There are 8 million people with Chagas disease worldwide and in El Salvador approximately 39% of the population is at risk of contracting the disease. One of the principal challenges in mitigating Chagas is evaluating the role of the vector ecology of triatomine species in the transmission of the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite in anthropogenically modified habitats, where new patterns of transmission frequently arise. Field studies of triatomine vector ecology in El Salvador have largely focused on describing parameters that contribute to infestation patterns, which may themselves be rooted in the morphological variability that exists in triatomine populations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphology of the vector species Triatoma dimidiata with respect to the characteristics of the ecological landscape the vector inhabits throughout El Salvador. We used image analyses to evaluate T. dimidiata morphological variability and then used Geographic Information Systems to intersect the morphological point-data with map layers containing different environmental characteristics. Our study found that the variation in the size, shape, and coloration of T. dimidiata varied in relation to elevation, Holdridge life zone, soil type and land use. We further characterize the local morphological adaptations of T. dimidiata with respect to the local ecological, biological, and geographical conditions in El Salvador. We suggest that future studies consider a molecular exploration of local T. dimidiata species complex in El Salvador, especially since morphological studies of triatomine species complex have found that variability correlate with the genetic variability of the population.
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Keller JI, Lima-Cordón R, Monroy MC, Schmoker AM, Zhang F, Howard A, Ballif BA, Stevens L. Protein mass spectrometry detects multiple bloodmeals for enhanced Chagas disease vector ecology. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2019; 74:103998. [PMID: 31401306 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.103998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease endemic in Latin America, is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is responsible for significant health impacts, especially in rural communities. The parasite is transmitted by insect vectors in the Triatominae subfamily and due to lack of vaccines and limited treatment options, vector control is the main way of controlling the disease. Knowing what vectors are feeding on directly enhances our understanding of the ecology and biology of the different vector species and can potentially aid in engaging communities in active disease control, a concept known as Ecohealth management. We evaluated bloodmeals in rural community, house-caught insect vectors previously evaluated for bloodmeals via DNA analysis as part of a larger collaborative project from three countries in Central America, including Guatemala. In addition to identifying bloodmeals in 100% of all samples using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) (n = 50), strikingly for 53% of these samples there was no evidence of a recent bloodmeal by DNA-PCR. As individual vectors often feed on multiple sources, we developed an enhanced detection pipeline, and showed the ability to quantify a bloodmeal using stable-isotope-containing synthetic references peptides, a first step in further exploration of species-specific bloodmeal composition. Furthermore, we show that a lower resolution mass spectrometer is sufficient to correctly identify taxa from bloodmeals, an important and strong attribute of our LC-MS/MS-based method, opening the door to using proteomics in countries where Chagas disease is endemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith I Keller
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Raquel Lima-Cordón
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - M Carlota Monroy
- Laboratorio de Entomología Aplicada y Parasitología, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Edificio T-10 Ciudad Universitaria Zona 12, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala; Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Anna M Schmoker
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Alan Howard
- Statistical Software Support and Consulting Services, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Bryan A Ballif
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States.
| | - Lori Stevens
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States.
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19
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Chagas Disease in Central America: Recent Findings and Current Challenges in Vector Ecology and Control. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-019-00175-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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20
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Hanley JP, Rizzo DM, Buzas JS, Eppstein MJ. A Tandem Evolutionary Algorithm for Identifying Causal Rules from Complex Data. EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTATION 2019; 28:87-114. [PMID: 30817200 DOI: 10.1162/evco_a_00252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We propose a new evolutionary approach for discovering causal rules in complex classification problems from batch data. Key aspects include (a) the use of a hypergeometric probability mass function as a principled statistic for assessing fitness that quantifies the probability that the observed association between a given clause and target class is due to chance, taking into account the size of the dataset, the amount of missing data, and the distribution of outcome categories, (b) tandem age-layered evolutionary algorithms for evolving parsimonious archives of conjunctive clauses, and disjunctions of these conjunctions, each of which have probabilistically significant associations with outcome classes, and (c) separate archive bins for clauses of different orders, with dynamically adjusted order-specific thresholds. The method is validated on majority-on and multiplexer benchmark problems exhibiting various combinations of heterogeneity, epistasis, overlap, noise in class associations, missing data, extraneous features, and imbalanced classes. We also validate on a more realistic synthetic genome dataset with heterogeneity, epistasis, extraneous features, and noise. In all synthetic epistatic benchmarks, we consistently recover the true causal rule sets used to generate the data. Finally, we discuss an application to a complex real-world survey dataset designed to inform possible ecohealth interventions for Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Hanley
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Vermont, Burlington, 05405, USA
| | - Donna M Rizzo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Vermont, Burlington, 05405, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Buzas
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Vermont, Burlington, 05405, USA
| | - Margaret J Eppstein
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, 05405, USA
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Lima-Cordón RA, Stevens L, Solórzano Ortíz E, Rodas GA, Castellanos S, Rodas A, Abrego V, Zúniga Valeriano C, Monroy MC. Implementation science: Epidemiology and feeding profiles of the Chagas vector Triatoma dimidiata prior to Ecohealth intervention for three locations in Central America. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006952. [PMID: 30485265 PMCID: PMC6287883 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ecohealth strategy is a multidisciplinary data-driven approach used to improve the quality of people's lives in Chagas disease endemic areas, such as regions of Central America. Chagas is a vector-borne disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. In Central America, the main vector is Triatoma dimidiata. Because successful implementation of the Ecohealth approach reduced home infestation in Jutiapa department, Guatemala, it was scaled-up to three localities, one in each of three Central American countries (Texistepeque, El Salvador; San Marcos de la Sierra, Honduras and Olopa, Guatemala). As a basis for the house improvement phase of the Ecohealth program, we determined if the localities differ in the role of sylvatic, synanthropic and domestic animals in the Chagas transmission cycle by measuring entomological indices, blood meal sources and parasite infection from vectors collected in and around houses. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with taxa specific primers to detect both, blood sources and parasite infection, was used to assess 71 T. dimidiata from Texistepeque, 84 from San Marcos de la Sierra and 568 from Olopa. Our results show that infestation (12.98%) and colonization (8.95%) indices were highest in Olopa; whereas T. cruzi prevalence was higher in Texistepeque and San Marcos de la Sierra (>40%) than Olopa (8%). The blood meal source profiles showed that in Olopa, opossum might be important in linking the sylvatic and domestic Chagas transmission cycle, whereas in San Marcos de la Sierra dogs play a major role in maintaining domestic transmission. For Texistepeque, bird was the major blood meal source followed by human. When examining the different life stages, we found that in Olopa, the proportion bugs infected with T. cruzi is higher in adults than nymphs. These findings highlight the importance of location-based recommendations for decreasing human-vector contact in the control of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Asunción Lima-Cordón
- The Applied Entomology and Parasitology Laboratory at Biology School, Pharmacy Faculty, San Carlos University of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Lori Stevens
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Solórzano Ortíz
- The Applied Entomology and Parasitology Laboratory at Biology School, Pharmacy Faculty, San Carlos University of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Gabriela Anaité Rodas
- The Applied Entomology and Parasitology Laboratory at Biology School, Pharmacy Faculty, San Carlos University of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Salvador Castellanos
- The Applied Entomology and Parasitology Laboratory at Biology School, Pharmacy Faculty, San Carlos University of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Antonieta Rodas
- The Applied Entomology and Parasitology Laboratory at Biology School, Pharmacy Faculty, San Carlos University of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Vianney Abrego
- Centro de Investigación y desarrollo en salud (CENSALUD-CID), Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | | | - María Carlota Monroy
- The Applied Entomology and Parasitology Laboratory at Biology School, Pharmacy Faculty, San Carlos University of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
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Yoshioka K, Provedor E, Manne-Goehler J. The resilience of Triatoma dimidiata: An analysis of reinfestation in the Nicaraguan Chagas disease vector control program (2010-2016). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202949. [PMID: 30138377 PMCID: PMC6107243 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The control of Triatoma dimidiata, a major vector of Chagas disease, was believed to eliminate Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in Central America. This vector was known for its ability to repeatedly reinfest human dwellings even after initial insecticide spraying. Current vector control programs assume that community-based surveillance can maintain low levels of infestation over many years, despite a lack of evidence in the literature to corroborate this assumption. This study aims to evaluate long-term reinfestation risk in the Nicaraguan vector control program from 2010 to 2016. Methods We collected data from a cohort of 395 houses in Pueblo Nuevo, Nicaragua. Primary data were collected through a field survey to assess post-intervention levels of T. dimidiata house infestation in 2016, two years after the large-scale insecticide spraying. We obtained secondary data from the records about past infestation levels and control activities between 2010 and 2015. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with post-intervention house infestation. Results The control program effectively reduced the infestation level from 2010 to 2014. Community-based surveillance was introduced in 2013; however, post-intervention infestation in 2016 had nearly reached pre-intervention levels in rural villages. Post-intervention house infestation was positively associated with poor wall construction, roofing tiles piled in the peri-domestic areas or the presence of dogs. Interestingly, the odds of post-intervention house infestation were one-fifth less when villagers sprayed their own houses regularly. Past infestation levels and the intensity of government-led insecticide spraying did not explain post-intervention house infestation. Conclusions The vector control program failed to offer sustained reductions in T. dimidiata house infestation. This experience would suggest that community-based surveillance is an insufficient approach to suppressing T. dimidiata house infestation over many years. This study provides evidence to suggest that control policies for T. dimidiata should be reconsidered throughout Central America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Yoshioka
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Doctor of Public Health Program, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ezequiel Provedor
- Facultad Regional Multidisciplinaria—Estelí, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua—Managua, Estelí, Nicaragua
| | - Jennifer Manne-Goehler
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
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Lopez-Ordonez T, Flores-López CA, Montejo-Lopez R, Cruz-Hernandez A, Conners EE. Cultivable Bacterial Diversity in the Gut of the Chagas Disease Vector Triatoma dimidiata: Identification of Possible Bacterial Candidates for a Paratransgenesis Approach. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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