Trypanosoma cruzi connatal transmission was studied in male and female mongrel dogs. Both dogs were experimentally infected, after which on the 20th day, lymphoadenomegaly and fever were found. Four months postinfection, they mated. At this time, Chagas disease was confirmed by two different diagnostic tests. The electrocardiogram and echocardiogram taken at the eight postinoculation month showed data consistent with ischemia, local conduction abnormalities and hypertrophy, as well as a diminished ejection fraction and left ventricular dilation, respectively. Four puppies were born and after weaning had weakness, progressive weight loss, and chronic diarrhea. Necropsy of all four showed digestive alterations and cardiac dilation. Serology in the offspring was positive for Chagas disease. The histopathological study demonstrated a cardiac chronic inflammatory process, although no parasites were found. Clinical data and serological determinations are consistent with death from advanced Chagas disease.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AptBW, HeitmannGI, JercicLMI, JofréMLet al.Parte II. Enfermedad de Chagas en el adulto, la infancia y la adolescencia. Rev Chil Infect, 2008; 25:194–199.
2.
BahiaMT, TafuriWL, CaliariMV, VelosoVMet al.Comparison of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in dogs inoculated with blood or metacyclic trypomastigotes of Berenice-62 and Berenice-78 strains via intraperitoneal and conjunctival routes. Rev Soc Brasil Med Trop, 2002; 35:339–345.
3.
Barbabosa-PliegoA, Díaz-AlbiterHM, Ochoa-GarcíaL, Aparicio-BurgosEet al.Trypanosoma cruzi circulating in the Southern Region of the State of Mexico (Zumpahuacan) are pathogenic: a dog model. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2009; 81:390–395.
4.
BarrSC, HolmesRA, KleiTR. Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic features of trypanosomiasis in dogs inoculated with North American Trypanosoma cruzi isolates. Am J Vet Res, 1992; 53:521–527.
5.
BittencourtAL. Possible risk factors for vertical transmission of Chagas' disease. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo, 1992; 34:403–408.
6.
BonnJA. Manual de consulta rápida Ecocardiografía práctica en pequeños animales. Gráfica. IN S.A. España: Multimédica, 2003.
7.
BurgosJM, AltchehJ, PetrucelliN, BisioM, LevinMJ, FreilijH, SchijmanAG. Molecular diagnosis and treatment monitoring of congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi to twins of a triplet delivery. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2009; 65:58–61.
8.
CaliariMV, de LanaM, CajáRA, CarneiroCMet al.Immunohistochemical studies in acute and chronic canine chagasic cardiomyopathy. Virchows Arch, 2002a. 441:69–76.
9.
CaliariMV, do Pilar MachadoR, de LanaM, CajaRAet al.Quantitative analysis of cardiac lesions in chronic canine chagasic cardiomyopathy. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo, 2002b. 44:273–278.
10.
Cruz-ChanJV, Bolio-GonzálezM, Colín-FloresR, Ramírez-SierraMJet al.Immunopathology of natural infection with Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs. Vet Parasitol, 2009; 162:151–155.
11.
DavilaHO, RevelliSS, MorenoHS, ValentiJJet al.Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi during pregnancy in rats and a decrease in chronic myocardial lesions in their infected offspring. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1994; 50:506–511.
12.
EspinolaCCM, RibeiroAMC, SallesXS, RiccioppoMRHet al.Chronic Chagas' disease in Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta): evaluation of parasitemia, serology, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and radiology. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2003; 68:683–691.
13.
Flores-ChávezM, FaezY, OlallaJM, CruzIet al.Fatal congenital Chagas' disease in a non-endemic area: a case report. Cases J, 2008; 1:302–306.
14.
Guedes PMM Veloso VM Tafuri WL Galvão LMC et al. The dog as model for chemotherapy of the Chagas' disease. Acta Trop, 2002; 84:9–17.
15.
Guzmán-BrachoC, La HuertaS, Velasco-CastrejónO. Chagas disease. First congenital case report. Arch Med Res, 1998; 29:195–196.
16.
Machado EMM Fernandes AJ Murta SMF Vitor RWA et al. A study of experimental reinfection by Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2001; 65:958–965.
17.
MendozaTCA, CórdovaBE, AnccaJJ, SaldañaDJet al.Prevalencia de la enfermedad de Chagas en puérperas y transmisión congénita en una zona endémica del PerúRev Panam Salud Publica, 2005; 17:147–53.
18.
MontenegroVPC, de MicheliA, ReyesPA. Hallazgos electrovectocardiográficos en la Miocardiopatía Chagásica Crónica. Arch Inst Cardiol Mex, 1998; 68:51–57.
19.
MonteónVM, NekrassovV, ZepedaA, ArandaAet al.Interacción de una mezcla de epimastigotes y tripomastigotes de cultivo de un aislamiento mexicano de Trypanosoma cruzi con macrófagos murinos. Rev Lat Amer Microbiol, 1992; 34:43–48.
20.
MonteónVM, RamosAE, ReyesPA. Reactividad de sueros de pacientes chagásicos crónicos con extractos de aislamientos mexicanos de Trypanosoma cruzi. Rev Biol Trop, 1993; 41:861–865.
21.
MonteónVM, TurrentLC, AmadorGF, ReyesPA. Anticuerpos séricos a T. cruzi en donadores de sangre en la Ciudad de México. Bioquimia, 1987; 9:6–9.
22.
MorenoEA, AraujoMA, AlarcónME, LugoYAet al.Efectos de la infección chagásica aguda en ratas Wistar gestantes. Rev Cient, 2006; 16:506–516.
23.
MorenoEA, RiveraI, MorenoSC, AlarcónMet al.Transmisión vertical de Trypanosoma cruzi en ratas Wistar durante la fase aguda de la infección. Invest Clin, 2003; 44:241–254.
24.
NOM-0062-ZOO-1999. Especificaciones Técnicas para el Cuidado y Uso de Animales de Laboratorio. Diario Oficial de la Federación: México, 1999.
25.
OliveraMA, OrtegaF, VidalS, Hernández-BecerrilNet al.Serological and parasitological screening of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mothers and newborns living in two chagasic areas of Mexico. Arch Med Res, 2006; 37:774–777.
26.
PachecoDJ, De OliveiraV, TerranovaE, BasmadjiánYet al.Enfermedad de Chagas en perros: descripción de un caso clínico en Raza Cimarrón y su diagnóstico histopatológico. Redvet, 2009; 10:1–13. www.veterinaria.org/revistas/redvet/n040409.htlm.2009. 2009November.
27.
Pinto DiasJC. Elimination of Chagas disease transmission: perspectives. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, 2009; 104,Suppl. I:41–45.
28.
Quijano-HernandezIA, Bolio-GonzálezME, Rodríguez-BuenfilJC, Ramirez-SierraMJet al.Therapeutic DNA Vaccine against Trypanosoma cruzi infection in dogs a pilot clinical trial. Ann NY Acad Sci, 2008; 1149:343–346.
29.
RamírezMAJ. Enfermedad de Chagas en el perro: mitos y realidades. AMMVEPE, 2006; 17:213–216.
30.
RamosAE, MonteónVM, ReyesPA. Detección de anticuerpos contra Trypanosoma cruzi en donadores de sangre. Rev Sal Pub Mex, 1993; 35:56–64.
31.
Reyes-FernándezME. Enfermedad de chagas en pediatría. Conferencia en 1er. Simposio Virtual de Enfermedad de Chagas. Federación Argentina de Cardiología, 2000. www.fac.org.ar/fec/chagas/c18reyes/c18reyes.htm.2000. 2009October.
32.
RibeiroRD, LopesRA, GarciaTAR, CamposA. Histopathological study of mammary gland in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice. Parasitol Res, 1988; 74:290–292.
33.
RieraC, GuarroA, KassabHE, JorbaJMet al.Congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Europe (Spain): a case report. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2006; 75:1078–1081.
34.
RosypalAC, Cortés-VecinoJA, GennariSM, DubeyJPet al.Serological survey of Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs from urban areas of Brazil and Colombia. Vet Parasitol, 2007; 149:172–177.
35.
SalazarSPM, MarínLRA. 2006. Manual Para el Diagnóstico de Infección por Trypanosoma cruzi. México, D. F: Deseret Press, 2006; 24–31.
36.
Sosa-JuradoF, Mazariego-ArandaM, Hernández-BecerrilN, Garza-MurilloVet al.Electrocardiographic findings in Mexican chagasic subjects living in high and low endemic regions of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, 2003; 98:605–610.
37.
TilleyLP. Essentials of Canine and Feline Electrocardiography: Interpretation and Treatment. Baltimore: Lippincott Wiliams & Wilkins, 1992.
38.
TizardIR. Immunity in the fetus and newborn. In: Veterinary Immunology. An Introduction. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2004; 221–233.
39.
TorricoF, Alonso-VegaC, SuarezE, TellezTet al.Are maternal re-infections with Trypanosoma cruzi associated with higher morbidity and mortality of congenital Chagas disease?Trop Med Int Health, 2006; 11:628–635.
40.
VandeputteJ. Introducción a la inmunología y vacunología. InfomerialMerial México: S. A. de C. V. 2004. www.webveterinaria.com/merial/inmunologia.pdf.2004. 2009October.
41.
VelosoVM, GuedesPMM, AndradeIM, CaldasISet al.Trypanosoma cruzi: blood parasitism kinetics and their correlation with heart parasitism intensity during long-term infection of Beagle dogs. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, 2008; 103:528–534.
42.
WHO (World Health Organization). Chagas: one hundred years later. Bull World Health Organ, 2009; 87:491–492. www.scielosp.org/pdf/bwho/v87n7/v87n7a07.pdf.2009. 2009December.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
