Chagas disease | Pet Peeves

There are so many illnesses in the world that we just don’t think about here in the United States. One of those is Chagas disease. I learned about this in veterinary school more than 35 years ago. Found mainly in Latin America, it was just one of those things that, practicing in America, I thought I would never see.

And now I am finding out it is becoming much more common in our southern states. Originally discovered by a Brazilian physician, Dr. Carlos Chagas, in 1909, Chagas disease is actually caused by a protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi. This protozoan is spread by the triatomine bug known as a “kissing bug.”

At Texas A&M University, they began a kissing bug community science program in 2012. Since then, more than 7,000 kissing bugs have been sent in by 1,500 people for scientific research. About 55% of those bugs were found to be positive for Trypanosoma cruzi.

Kissing bugs feed on blood and are active at night. They can live up to two years and grow to be 1 inch in size. These bugs do not attach like a tick, and take several minutes to feed. Their bite is not painful, and the victim probably won’t know they are being bitten. They feed on humans (it is a human health hazard), dogs and wild animals. The kissing bugs carry the T. cruzi in their gut and pass the protozoa in their feces.

Dogs can catch the protozoa by eating the kissing bug or its feces. Also, when the bug bites the dog, it will poop at the site of the bite and the protozoa will enter the broken skin. Clinical signs of the disease vary and can be nondescript, but they include lethargy, poor appetite and weight loss. While many dogs that are exposed do not show any symptoms, Chagas can cause heart disease. The pet may have heart palpitations and, in some instances, develop heart failure. While there are medications for treating Chagas disease, they are not curative. If the dog’s condition becomes chronic, treatment involves treating the symptoms of illness.

There is no vaccine for this disease. Limiting exposure to the vector insects is important. This can be done by maintaining a clean area for pets. Keep brush away from the house and make sure all screens are secure in windows so these bugs can’t creep in at night. They are attracted to light, so keep outside lights off at night. It has been found that Nexgard, Bravecto and Scalibor, which are all flea and tick medicines, can kill the kissing bugs, so their use may help prevent infection of the pet.

Any dogs with the symptoms of heart failure that have been in areas where Chagas is endemic should be tested. Two options for testing include the IFA antibody test and the PCR. The IFA antibody test demonstrates exposure to the virus at some time in the life of the dog. The PCR test looks for parasite DNA in the blood sample. The PCR is better at diagnosing a current, active infection.

While Chagas disease is not high on the list of things to worry about in our community, it is out there and it never hurts to be aware.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Chagas disease | Pet Peeves