Master's Study Shows High Index of Dogs Infected by Agent Causing Chagas Disease in NB | Rio Grande do Norte

"This method involves taking a small amount of blood from the dog, then extracting the DNA from the blood of the animal and performing a procedure called PCR, which allows the amplification of the sequences. DNA and thus allows to verify presence of Trypanosoma DNA in this sample, "explained the veterinarian.

The research lasted two years and took place in the municipalities of Caicó, Acari, Caraúbas and Marcelino Vieira, inside the state. Vicente explains that infected animals do not show any visible symptoms or transmit Chagas disease, but that they act as a sign of the presence of infection in these localities.

"The hairdresser is the insect that can harbor the protozoan Trypanosoma and transmit the disease." The person may be infected with contaminated barn stool, contaminated food or blood transfusion. Chagas disease is an important sign of the presence of its causative agent, "warns the veterinarian.

Vicente says that the average life of a dog turns around 10/15 years old and that research showed that the animals were contaminated at four months. "These data are important because they prove that Chagas disease is active in the state and that public authorities must pay attention. An infected four-month-old animal proves that Trypanosoma is active, "he said.

In 2014, the first systematic review and meta-badysis study was published to estimate the prevalence of Chagas disease In Brazil, according to this study and others, the most recent estimates in the country reveal that the number of people infected with Trypanosoma varies between 1.9 and 4.6 million.

The Department State of Health reports that the Chagas disease control program is being applied in the 167 municipalities of Potiguares According to Sesap, the highest concentration of cases is in the regions of Mossoró, Caicó, Pau dos Ferros , Assou and the metropolitan capital, and cases from the metropolitan area are imported.