SREL Reprint #3728

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) show higher Trypanosoma cruzi detection rates than Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) in South Carolina, USA

David A. Bernasconi1, Madison L. Miller5, Jacob E. Hill5, Pooja Gupta7, Richard Chipman2,
Amy T. Gilbert3, Olin E. Rhodes, Jr.4, and Guha Dharmarajan6

1Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 15950 North Gate Boulevard, Nampa, Idaho 83687, USA
2National Rabies Management Program, US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, 59 Chenell Drive, Suite 2, Concord, New Hampshire 03301, USA
3National Wildlife Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA
4Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia,
Building 737-A, Aiken, South Carolina 29802, USA
5Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia,
Building 737-A Aiken, South Carolina 29802, USA
6Division of Sciences, School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences, Krea University,
5655 Central Expressway, Sri City, Andhra Pradesh 517646, India
7Utah Public Health Laboratory, Utah Department of Health and Human Services, 4431 South 2700 West, Taylorsville, Salt Lake City, Utah 84129, USA

Abstract: Chagas disease, a significant public health concern in the Americas, is caused by a protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. The life cycle of T. cruzi involves kissing bugs (Triatoma spp.) functioning as vectors and mammalian species serving as hosts. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) and opossums (Didelphis virginiana) have been identified as important reservoir species in the life cycle of T. cruzi, but prevalence in both species in the southeastern US is currently understudied. We quantified T. cruzi prevalence in these two key reservoir species across our study area in South Carolina, US, and identified factors that may influence parasite detection. We collected whole blood from 183 raccoons and 126 opossums and used PCR to detect the presence of T. cruzi. We then used generalized linear models with parasite detection status as a binary response variable and predictor variables of land cover, distance to water, sex, season, and species. Our analysis indicated that raccoons experienced significantly higher parasite detection rates than Virginia opossums, with T. cruzi prevalence found to be 26.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.0–33.8) in raccoons and 10.5% (95% CI, 5.51–17.5) in opossums. Overall, our results concur with previous studies, in that T. cruzi is established in reservoir host populations in natural areas of the southeastern US.

Keywords: Chagas disease, disease ecology, reservoir host, wildlife disease

SREL Reprint #3728

Bernasconi, D. A., M. L. Miller, J. E. Hill, P. Gupta, R. Chipman, A. T. Gilbert, O. E. Rhodes Jr., and G. Dharmarajan. 2023. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) show higher Trypanosoma cruzi detection rates than Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) in South Carolina, USA. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 59(4).

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).