Identifying the Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in Clinton County Feral Cats

Identifying the Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in Clinton County Feral Cats

Trypansoma cruzi is the causal agent of Chagas disease - a malady of the cardiac and digestive organ systems. Chagas disease has been endemic in Latin America for decades, but it was not a growing concern in the United States until recently due to findings of positive insect vectors and reservoirs across the Country. Most of these findings have been in the American South, but literature suggests the upward movement of the parasite potentially putting other states at risk. For this project, 12 feral cats from Clinton County, Ohio were genetically tested for T. cruzi to determine whether this parasite is present in mammalian reservoirs locally. All 12 samples failed to show positive results for T. cruzi DNA, which still does not rule out the possibility for the parasite to be present in Ohio. Additional testing is recommended before there can be a complete consensus.

Elijah Brock

biology research poster version 1 (1).png

Repository Submission Date: 5/6/2023 3:39:00 PM
Poster Presentation Date: 5/4/2023

Amanda Rollins, PhD. (Biology - Wilmington College)

All Rights Reserved

.PNG

English

Student Research Poster - .PNG Format