TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI INFECTION IN WALKER HOUNDS FROM VIRGINIA

Trypanosomiasis has been reported in dogs from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisi ana, and South Carolina. We describe the first isolation and character ization of Trypanosoma cruzi from a Walker Hound pup in Virginia that also had postvaccinal distemper. The mother of the pup and 7 of its 8 siblings also were found to be infected with T cruzi, suggesting that the parasite had been transmitted transplacentally or through lactatio n. Parasitologic, serologic, histologic, and molecular methods were us ed to establish the diagnosis of T cruzi infection in these dogs. In a serologic survey of 12 dogs (including the sire of the pups) from the area in which the index case occurred, none were found to have antibo dies to T cruzi. However, 2 of a further 52 dogs from different areas (to the index case), but in the same county, were seropositive to T cr uzi. These findings indicate that canine trypanosomiasis is present in an area of the United States not previously known to be enzootic.