Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, VOLUME 120 | 2025
Research Articles
First report of canine Chagas disease on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad
1University of the West Indies, School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
2University of the West Indies, Department of Life Sciences, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
3University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Athens, GA, USA
4Ministry of Agriculture Lands and Fisheries, Animal Production and Health Division, Champs Fleurs, Trinidad and Tobago
5University of the West Indies, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Trinidad and Tobago
6University of Delaware, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology, Newark, DE, USA
DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760250199
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ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Chagas disease (CD) is a vector-borne infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a kinetoplastid parasite of mammals. T. cruzi is transmitted by triatomine bugs throughout the Americas and some Caribbean islands. On the Caribbean island of Trinidad, T. cruzi has been isolated from triatomine bugs in several residential areas where dogs are a common pet. However, canine T. cruzi infection in Trinidad has never been studied.
OBJECTIVES We aimed to demonstrate that canine CD does occur in Trinidad through a review of veterinary records from the years 2008-2023.
METHODS We reviewed 3,923 case reports from Trinidad veterinary clinics for canine Chagas cases diagnosed through histological evaluation, necropsy, blood smear evaluation, and/or polymerase chain reactions (PCR).
FINDINGS We identified 13 confirmed and two suspected canine CD cases. Animal ages ranged from five weeks to 14 years old, with four (27%) being less than one year old, including the pup of a T. cruzi-infected dam. Breed varied, although one-third (5/15) were hounds. Clinical signs ranged from asymptomatic (43%; 6/14) to severely ill with limb paresis (21%; 3/14). Seven of the fifteen (47%) dogs died, and three more (20%) were euthanized. Myocarditis with visible amastigote forms were found in two-thirds (9/15) of dogs.
MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight a need for increased awareness of CD among dog owners and veterinarians in Trinidad.
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+ Corresponding author: jkp@udel.edu | 
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0274-6143
Received 30 July 2025
Accepted 13 October 2025
HOW TO CITE
Suepaul R, Mohammed A, Gottdenker NL, Pargass I, Oura C, Ramsubhag A, et al. First report of canine Chagas disease on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2025; 120: e250199.
HANDLING EDITOR
Adeilton Alves Brandão | https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5877-607X
