Congenital Chagas disease is a growing concern, prioritized by the World Health Organization for public health action. El Salvador is home to some of the highest Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi infection) burdens in the Americas, yet pregnancy screening remains neglected. This pilot investigation performed a maternal T. cruzi surveillance study in Western El Salvador among women presenting for labor and delivery. From 198 consented and enrolled pregnant women, 6% were T. cruzi positive by serology or molecular diagnosis. Half of the infants born to T. cruzi-positive women were admitted to the NICU for neonatal complications. Geospatial statistical clustering of cases was noted in the municipality of Jujutla. Older women and those knowing an infected relative or close friend were significantly more likely to test positive for T. cruzi infection at the time of parturition. In closing, maternal T. cruzi infections were significantly higher than national HIV or syphilis maternal rates, creating an urgent need to add T. cruzi to mandatory pregnancy screening programs.

Background: Chagas disease is a leading cause of cardiac failure in Latin America. Due to poor safety profiles and efficacy of currently available therapeutics, prevention is a priority for the millions living at risk for acquiring this clinically important vector-borne disease. Triatomine vectors of the Chagas disease parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, are found in the southwestern United States, but risk for autochthonous transmission is thought to be low. The role of ectoparasitic mites is under-explored regarding the ecology of triatomines and Chagas disease transmission. Methods: Triatomine collections were performed using three common entomologic techniques in 2020–2021 from four different locations in southern Arizona and New Mexico. Triatomines were analyzed visually under a 112.5× microscope for the presence of externally attached mites. Following mite removal, triatomines were tested for T. cruzi infection by PCR. Results: Approximately 13% of the collected triatomines had mites securely attached to their head, thorax, abdomen, and legs. More than one mite attached was a common finding among ectoparasitized triatomines. Mite presence, however, did not statistically influence triatomine T. cruzi status. Conclusions: Our findings add to a growing body of literature demonstrating the sustainability of mite-infested triatomine populations throughout the Western Hemisphere. Future investigations are warranted to better understand the biologic impact of triatomine mites and their potential to serve as a potential biological control tool.

Los tripanosomátidos son un grupo de parásitos protozoarios pertenecientes a la familia Trypanosomatidae, se caracterizan por poseer un único flagelo y un orgánulo llamado cinetoplasto que contiene ADN mitocondrial y es fundamental para su metabolismo y supervivencia. Estos parásitos son de gran importancia médica y veterinaria, ya que incluyen géneros como Trypanosoma y Leishmania, responsables de enfermedades que afectan a millones de personas en el mundo, como la enfermedad de Chagas, la tripanosomiasis africana y la leishmaniasis. Se estima que seis millones de personas están infectadas de la enfermedad de Chagas en las Américas. Los murciélagos son el principal reservorio de tripanosomátidos en la naturaleza, estos ayudan a dispersar estos parásitos protozoarios a otros mamíferos. Aunque los murciélagos muestran poco o ningún daño al ser parasitados por tripanosomátidos, estos desempeñan un papel crucial en mantener estable esta población. Además, algunos de los tripanosomátidos que albergan los murciélagos son médicamente importantes para los humanos, como Trypanosoma cruzi, que es el agente etiológico de la enfermedad de Chagas. En este estudio, se exploró la frecuencia de infección de T. cruzi en murciélagos en el municipio de San Salvador, mediante PCR usando los primers 121/122, dando como resultado 30.2% (26/86) de murciélagos positivos a Trypanosoma cruzi. Además, se encontraron cuatro especímenes correspondientes al género Trypanosoma sp, de los cuales, no se pudo determinar la especie. Los resultados son similares a los reportados por distintos autores, especialmente en países como Colombia y Brasil, confirmado la amplia distribución biogeográfica de los tripanosomátidos en el continente, siendo de vital importancia el hecho que durante esta investigación los murciélagos capturados se hayan encontrado cerca de grandes poblaciones humanas, siendo un importante hallazgo para la salud pública.