chagas disease risk in texas恰加斯病的风险在德克萨斯州.pdfVIP

Chagas Disease Risk in Texas 1,2 1 2 1 1 Sahotra Sarkar *, Stavana E. Strutz , David M. Frank , Chissa–Louise Rivaldi , Blake Sissel , Victor ´ 3 Sanchez–Cordero 1 Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America, 2 Department of Philosophy, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States ´ ´ ´ ´ ´ of America, 3 Instituto de Biologıa, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico Abstract Background: Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a serious public health concern in many areas of Latin ´ America, including Mexico. It is also endemic in Texas with an autochthonous canine cycle, abundant vectors (Triatoma species) in many counties, and established domestic and peridomestic cycles which make competent reservoirs available throughout the state. Yet, Chagas disease is not reportable in Texas, blood donor screening is not mandatory, and the serological profiles of human and canine populations remain unknown. The purpose of this analysis was to provide a formal risk assessment, including risk maps, which recommends the removal of these lacunae. Methods and Findings: The spatial relative risk of the establishment of autochthonous Chagas disease cycles in Texas was assessed using a five–stage analysis. 1. Ecological risk for Chagas disease was established at a fine spatial resolution using a maximum entropy algorithm that takes as input occurrence points of vectors and environmental layers. The analysis was restricted to triatomine vector species for which new data were generated thr