Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: JOSÉ ATANASIO DE OLIVEIRA NETO

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JOSÉ ATANASIO DE OLIVEIRA NETO
DATE: 03/10/2025
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: https://meet.google.com/eea-kcec-mzb
TITLE:

Molecular research and molecular differentiation of Discrete Type Units (DTUs) of Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and study of the triatomine fauna in the Agreste region of Pernambuco, Brazil

KEY WORDS:

Vectors, Chagas disease, DTUs, Spatial Distribution, Canine Infection.

PAGES: 124
BIG AREA: Ciências Agrárias
AREA: Medicina Veterinária
SUBÁREA: Medicina Veterinária Preventiva
SPECIALTY: Doenças Parasitárias de Animais
SUMMARY:

Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastea: Trypanosomatidae) is the etiological agent of Chagas disease (CD), also known as American trypanosomiasis (AT). This parasite exhibits a heterogeneous population with seven recognized lineages, termed Discrete Typing Units (DTUs). Dogs are important domestic hosts of T. cruzi, serving as models for understanding the clinical manifestations of the disease and providing information on the current distribution of this infection in Brazil. The general objective of this study is to investigate infection and molecular differentiation of T. cruzi DTUs in dogs and to study the triatomine fauna in the Agreste region of Pernambuco, Brazil. To this end, this qualification presents the first two chapters of this thesis, summarized as follows. Chapter 1: The distribution and infection rates of T. cruzi in triatomines collected in an endemic area for CD in Northeastern Brazil were assessed. Based on secondary data obtained between 2013 and 2022 from the official system of the National Chagas Disease Control Program (SisPCDCh), a total of 7,257 triatomine specimens were collected, most (6,792; 93.6%) from intradomicile settings and 465 (6.4%) from peridomicile areas. The most frequent species were Panstrongylus lutzi (39.8%), followed by Triatoma brasiliensis(37%), Triatoma pseudomaculata (18.5%), and Panstrongylus megistus (4.32%). The study also revealed an infection rate of 7.1% for trypomastigote forms morphologically compatible with T. cruzi. Chapter 2: The available data on canine infection by T. cruzi in Brazil were synthesized, with emphasis on case distribution and diagnostic methods applicable to veterinary clinical practice. This study revealed a lack of information on the distribution of infection in dogs in the country, where most studies are case reports or post-mortem investigations. Finally, it is concluded that the presence of infected triatomines in intra- and peridomicile areas underscores the need for surveillance actions, such as health education in the most vulnerable areas for vector occurrence. Dogs may serve as continuous food sources for these vectors, contributing to the maintenance of the epidemiological cycle of the infection and increasing the risk for human populations.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - RAFAEL ANTONIO DO NASCIMENTO RAMOS
Interna - GILCIA APARECIDA DE CARVALHO
Externa à Instituição - TATIENE ROSSANA MÓTA SILVA
Externa à Instituição - VANESSA SANTOS DE ARRUDA BARBOSA - UFCG
Externo à Instituição - VICTOR FERNANDO SANTANA LIMA