Backed by nearly $4 million in funding, scientists from the University of Georgia and Texas A&M are using a “One Health” approach to combat Chagas disease, a serious illness that affects both dogs and humans. The disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and spread by kissing bugs, often goes undetected until it causes life-threatening heart issues.
Led by UGA’s Rick Tarleton and Texas A&M’s Sarah Hamer and Ashley Saunders, the team is developing improved diagnostics and a new treatment protocol that delivers higher drug doses over a longer period. Dogs are being used as a model for human infection, offering insight into disease progression and treatment resistance.
The research, supported by the NIH, DHS, and the American Kennel Club, also monitors working dogs exposed in high-risk areas like Texas, aiming to create better tools for early detection, treatment, and disease staging.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
