Ecología urbana de Triatoma infestans en Argentina: asociación entre Triatoma infestans y palomares

A study was undertaken in an urban area of the capital city of the province of San Juan, Argentina, in a housing complex of 768 flats distributed in buildings of 3 and 7 floors each surrouding an abandoned central winery. A total of 329 Triatoma infestans were captured, 293 on 4 terraces of seven-floor-towers and 36 inside the winery, associated with the great number of pigeons which nest in those places. The bugs were sheltered in the dung accumulated between the cement blocks used to floor the terraces and inside the unused tuns in the winery. Two main bug foci were identified associated with the dense pigeon colonies: 81,5% of the T. infestans collected were found in one of the towers (4B) and 11% in the central winery. After six months of insecticidal sprayind of the infested areas, those terraces in wich T. infestans had not been previously found resulted gave positive results. The feeding profile of triatomines shows a predominance of simple bird blood meals; in the buildings and the winery 95% of the T. infestans analized were identified for bird blood meals; the rest had fed on one or more sources: human, dogs or cats. None of the T. infestans was infected by T. cruzi.Estudio se realizó en una área urbana de la Capital de la Provincia de San Juan, Argentina, en un barrio de 768 apartamentos distribuidos en edificios de 3 y 7 pisos que rodean una bodega central abandonada. Se capturaron 329 ejemplares de Triatoma infestans, 293 en 4 terrazas de torres de 7 pisos y 36 en el interior de la bodega, associados con numerosas palomas que colomizaban estos sitios. Los insectos se refugiaban en el guano acumulado entre bloques de cemento que cubren las terrazas y en la bodega dentro de toneles en desuso. Se identificaron dos focos principales de vectores associados con densos palomares: un 81,5% del total de triatomas colectados se halló en una de las torres y un 11% en la bodega. A los 6 meses del tratamiento insecticida, resultaron positivas terrazas en las que previamente no se habia capturado T. infestans. El perfil alimentario de los triatomas muestra un predominio de ingestas simples sobre ave; en los edificios y en la bodega el 95% de los T. infestans analizados se alimentó sólo de ave; el resto fueron ingestas simples o dobles sobre humano, perro o gato. Ningún T. infestans presentó infección con Trypanosoma cruzi.Estudo realizado em local urbano da capital da Província de San Juan, Argentina, num bairro de 768 apartamentos distribuídos em prédios de 3 e 7 andares que cingem uma adega vinícola abandonada. Foram coletados 329 exemplares de Triatoma infestans, 293 em 4 terraços das torres de 7 andares e 36 no interior da adega, associados às numerosas pombas que colonizavam esses sítios. Os insetos refugiavam-se no excremento cumulado entre os blocos de cimento que cobrem os terraços e, na adega, dentro de tonéis fora de uso. Foram identificados dois focos principais de vetores, associados com densos pombais: 81,5% do total de triatomas coletados foram apanhados em uma das torres e 11% na adega. Após 6 meses de tratamento com inseticida, foram positivos os terraços onde anteriormente não se tinha coletado o T. infestans. O perfil alimentar dos triatomas mostra predomínio de sangue de aves; nos edifícios e na adega 95% dos T. infestans analisados alimentaram-se somente de aves; os demais fizeram repastos simples ou mistos em humanos, cães ou gatos. Nenhum T. infestans apresentou infecção com Trypanosoma cruzi

Molecular characterization of cryptic and sympatric lymnaeid species from the Galba/Fossaria group in Mendoza Province, Northern Patagonia, Argentina

Background Freshwater lymnaeid snails can act as the intermediate hosts for trematode parasites such as the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, that cause significant economic and biomedical burden worldwide, particularly through bovine fascioliasis. Transmission potential is tightly coupled to local compatibility with snail hosts, so accurate identification of lymnaeid species is crucial for understanding disease risk, especially when invasive species are encountered. Mendoza Province, in Argentina, is a center of livestock production and also an area of endemic fascioliasis transmission. However, the distribution of lymnaeid species in the region is not well known. Methods This study examined lymnaeid snails from seven localities in the Department of Malarguë, Mendoza Province, using morphological and molecular analyses and also describing ecological variables associated with snail presence. Results While morphological characters identified two species of lymnaeid, Galba truncatula and G. viatrix, molecular data revealed a third, cryptic species, G. neotropica, which was sympatric with G. viatrix. G. truncatula was exclusively found in high altitude (>1900 meters above sea level [masl]) sites, whereas mixed G. neotropica/G. viatrix localities were at middle elevations (1300–1900 masl), and G. viatrix was found alone at the lowest altitude sites (<1300 masl). Phylogenetic analysis using two mitochondrial markers revealed G. neotropica and G. viatrix to be closely related, and given their morphological similarities, their validities as separate taxonomic entities should be questioned. Conclusions This study highlights the need of a robust taxonomic framework for the identification of lymnaeid snails, incorporating molecular, morphological and ecological variables while avoiding nomenclature redundancy. As the three species observed here, including one alien invasive species, are considered hosts of varying susceptibility to Fasciola parasites, and given the economic importance of fascioliasis for livestock production, this research has critical importance for the ultimate aim of controlling disease transmission

Contribuição dos humanos, cães e gatos à transmissão do Trypanosoma cruzi na Região do Chaco Argentino

Foi determinada a prevalência da infecção por T. cruzi nos humanos, cães e gatos, pertencentes a 47 rancherías em três povoados rurais; Guanaco Muerto (Córdoba), La Invernada e Amamás (Santiago del Estero), mediante reações seroldgicas e xenodiagnóstico. Poram examinadas 245 pessoas, 123 cães e 14 gatos. A taxa de prevalência na população foi entre 58,7% (GM) e 49,6% (LI). Foram detectados 76% de cães infectados, o que resultou significativamente superior aos 51% encontrados nos humanos. As porcentagens de cães (64,2%) e gatos (63,6%) com parasitemia foram significativamente superiores à correspondente aos humanos (12,5%). Se bem que 79% dos gatos estavam infectados, sua pequena quantidade e seus hábitos de perambulação determinam que sua participação na transmissão doméstica do T. cruzi seja restrita. Não obstante existir em média um maior número de humanos que de cães em cada lar, tanto de sujeitos sãos como infectados (6,5 vs. 3,3 e 3,4 vs. 2,4, respectivamente), foram detectados também na média mais cães que humanos com parasitemia em cada casa (2,1 vs. 1,0). As altas porcentagens de cães infectados e com parasitemia, além do hábito de repouso intra-domiciliário o qual ocasiona estreito contacto entre eles e os barbeiros determinam que os cães sejam os principais provedores de parásitos à disposição para a transmissão, e os hospedeiros mais importantes para /nanutenção da doença de Chagas na Região do Chaco Argentino.Trypanosoma cruzi prevalence rates of human, dog and cat populations from 47 households of 3 rural localities of the phytogeographical Chaqueña area of Argentina were determined both by serological and xenodiagnostic procedures. Human prevalence rates were uniform and ranged from 49.6 to 58.7%. Overall prevalence rate in dogs (75.0%) was significantly higher than in humans (51.0%). The overall proportion of parasitemic individuals assessed by xenodiagnosis was significantly higher in either dog (64.2%) or cat (63.6%) populations than among humans (12.5%). Although both the average number of resident as well as infected individuals per household was higher for people than for dogs (6.5 vs. 3.3, and 3.4 vs. 2.4, respectively), the reverse was recorded when parasitemic individuals were considered (1.0 vs. 2.1). Results are discussed in relation to dog between dogs and people, and dogs and bugs. In the light of present data, dogs must be considered as the major donors of parasites to vector bugs and thus, principal contributors to transmission in this region of Argentina

Dinâmica da transmissão do Trypanosoma cruzi numa área rural da Argentina: III. Persistência da parasitemia pelo T. cruzi em reservatórios caninos durante um seguimento de dois anos

A new cross-sectional survey of household- associated mongrel dogs as well as follow-up of previously parasitemic individuals was carried out in 1984 toy means of xenodiagnosis and serologic techniques to get a deeper insight into the relationship of T. cruzi parasitemia and age among canine hosts in a rural area of Argentina. Persistence of detectable parasitemia was age-independent, or at most, loosely related to age, confirming the pattern observed in 1982. Similarly no significant age-decreasing effect was recorded among seropositive dogs in: a) the probability of detecting parasites in a 2-year follow-up; b) their intensity of infectiousness (=infective force) for T. infestans 3rd-4th instar nymphs, as measured by the percentage of infected bugs observed in each dog xenodiagnosis. Moreover, not only was the infective force of seropositive dogs for bugs approximately constant through lifetime, but it was significantly higher than the one recorded for children in the present survey, and for human people by other researchers. Therefore, and since T. infestans field populations show high feeding frequencies on dogs, the latter are expected to make the greatest contribution to the pool of infected vectors in the rural household of Argentina. This characteristic should be sufficient to involve canine reservoirs definitely as a risk factor for human people residing in the same house. The increased severity of parasitemia observed among dogs in this survey may be related to the acute undernutrition characteristic of canine populations of poor rural areas in our country, which is expected to affect the ability of the host to manage the infection.Foi realizada em 1984 uma nova pesquisa epidemiológica dos cães domésticos e seguimento dos indivíduos que apresentaram parasitemia dois anos antes a fim de compreender a relação entre a parasitemia e a idade dos cães, empregando para isso técnicas sorológicas e xenodiagnóstico. A persistência da parasitemia foi independente ou pouco relacionada à idade, confirmando assim o padrão observado em 1982. Da mesma maneira, nos cães soropositivos não se registrou nenhuma diminuição significativa com respeito a idade em: a) a probabilidade de descobrir parasitas por meio de um seguimento durante 2 anos; b) sua capacidade de infecção para as ninfas de 3.ª 4.ª fase de T. infestans, medido pela porcentagem de barbeiros infectados que se observou em cada um dos xenodiagnósticos dos cães. A capacidade infectante dos cães soropositivos foi aproximadamente constante ao longo da vida, e significativamente maior que a registrada para as crian. ças no presente estudo, e para os agrupamentos humanos pesquisados por outros investigadores. Assim sendo e considerando as altas freqüências de alimentação no cão que são observados nas populações pelo T. infestans, espera-se que o cão contribua para o total de barbeiros infectados existentes nas áreas rurais da Argentina. Esta característica deveria ser suficiente para incriminar definitivamente os reservatórios caninos como um fator de risco para as pessoas residentes na mesma casa. A alta intensidade da parasitemia registrada entre os cães na presente pesquisa poderia estar relacionada com a acentuada desnutrição característica dos cães nas áreas rurais pobres da Argentina, o que poderia afetar a capacidade do hospedeiro para controlar a infecção

The Career Readiness of Intercollegiate Athletes: Is There a Gender Gap?

Career development is one of the major objectives of universities. It is well-known that intercollegiate athletes have many time commitments that make it more challenging for them to focus on their career development. To compound this issue, the effectiveness of career development efforts may be impacted by the gender of the intercollegiate athlete. The purpose of this study was to examine the career readiness of student-athletes, focusing on differences based on gender. This was accomplished through the lenses of the social cognitive career theory and career decision self-efficacy. A total of 137 intercollegiate student-athletes at a large Midwestern university completed a career readiness instrument. It was found that there were differences between genders in the intercollegiate athlete’s perceived career readiness. Female intercollegiate student-athletes indicated lower levels of ability on career related skills, less confidence in their problem solving, higher levels of general indecisiveness about career choice, and a higher need for self-knowledge. There were similarities between the genders as well, such as the need for more career information and levels of career choice anxiety. Recommendations for programs to assist student-athletes in their career readiness and for areas of future research are provided