Natural Pathology of Chagas Disease NHPs, Domestic Species and Wildlife Species in Texas

Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi transmitted by multiple species of Triatomine or kissing bugs. T. cruzi vectors are present throughout the southern United States and Central and South America. Non-vector-mediated transmission modes in humans include transplacental/congenital, ingesting contaminated food, blood transfusion, and organ transplants. T. cruzi can cause lethal acute disease, chronic or reactivating disease in humans, domestic and wildlife species. Like other vertebrate hosts, outdoor-housed chimpanzees, baboons, and rhesus macaques are susceptible to T. cruzi transmission via kissing bug feces, leading to Chagas disease. Myocarditis with intralesional T. cruzi trophozoites resulting in heart failure is the most frequent pathology observed in adult non-human primates. Associated pathologies of heart failure include cardiomegaly, hydropericardium, hydrothorax, ascites, skin edema (facial and scrotal), and systemic manifestations include orchitis, ganglioneuritis, and myositis of the digestive system's muscular layers. Managing an outdoor housed facility remains challenging, requiring aggressive control measures and frequent serological screening.