| Summary: | Chagas disease, caused by <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> and transmitted by triatomines, can lead to severe cardiac issues and mortality in many mammals. Recent studies have shown that systemic insecticide treatment of dogs is highly effective in killing triatomines. Here, we assessed the impact of dog treatment on <i>T. cruzi</i> transmission. We developed a mathematical model of <i>T. cruzi</i> transmission among triatomines, dogs, humans, and rodents. We used the model to evaluate the impact of dog treatment regimens on <i>T. cruzi</i> transmission dynamics to determine their effectiveness in reducing <i>T. cruzi</i> infection among hosts. We show that a 3-month treatment regimen may reduce <i>T. cruzi</i> incidence among humans by 59–80% in a high transmission setting, and 26–82% in a low transmission setting. An annual treatment may reduce incidence among humans by 49–74% in a high transmission setting, and by 11–76% in a low transmission setting. However, dog treatment may substantially increase <i>T. cruzi</i> prevalence among dogs if dog consumption of dead triatomines increases. Our model indicates that dog treatment may reduce <i>T. cruzi</i> infections among humans, but it may increase infections in dogs. Therefore, a holistic approach targeting different hosts is necessary for Chagas elimination.
|
|---|