TWRC Wildlife Center is partnering with the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine to learn more about the prevalence of Chagas disease in Houston. Chagas disease is an vector-borne parasitic infection which can produce heart failure in the late stages of infected animals and people. This infection can be present for months to years before animals and people develop any symptoms.
TWRC Wildlife Center and Baylor College of Medicine plan to test mammals brought to the wildlife center for care, as part of the routine examination given to all animals upon admission. In areas of Houston where animals test positive for Chagas disease, we will be able to target human populations for testing. Testing for both animals and people is a simple blood test.
The partnership between TWRC and Baylor College of Medicine is an important collaboration to better understand how many animals are infected in the Houston area. Together, we can improve the lives of both animals and people in Houston.