CHAGAS DISEASE: AN EMERGING FATAL DISEASE IN TEXAS

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目及 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 该项目的目标是为人类受试者和非人灵长类动物模型的查加斯病研究提供工具和人口资源。 南美锥虫病影响拉丁美洲1 600万至1 800万人，是心脏病发病和死亡的最普遍原因。 恰加斯病是美国的一种新兴疾病。 在美国南部，非人灵长类动物在户外笼中自然暴露于携带致病寄生虫的昆虫，SNPRC的2-10%的动物被感染（百分比取决于物种）。 这笔赠款为美国国立卫生研究院关于巴西农村人群中恰加斯病遗传学的赠款提供了桥梁资金。 它还资助建立敏感的PCR诊断方法，德克萨斯州流行的寄生虫的遗传特征，确定将巴西人类受试者的受感染血液运送到德克萨斯州进行寄生虫诊断工作的可行性，以及通过确定自然死亡或因健康原因而被安乐死的受感染猴子的心脏病理学来评估疾病进展。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The goals of this project are to generate tools and population resources for research on Chagas disease in human subjects and nonhuman primate models. Chagas disease affects 16-18 million people in Latin America, where it is the most prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality from heart disease. Chagas disease is an emerging disease in the US. Nonhuman primates housed in outdoor caging in southern US are naturally exposed to the insects that carry the disease-causing parasite and 2-10% of animals at the SNPRC are infected (percentage dependent on species). The grant provides bridge funding for an NIH grant on the genetics of Chagas disease in a human population in rural Brazil. It also funds the establishment of sensitive PCR diagnostic methods, the genetic characterization of the parasites endemic to Texas, the determination of feasibility of transporting infected blood from human subjects in Brazil to Texas for diagnostic work on the parasites, and assessment of disease progression by determining pathology in hearts from infected monkeys that die spontaneously or are euthanized for health reasons.