Seroprevalence, epidemiological factors, and spatial patterns of exposure to Trypanosoma cruzi in urban cats in Maceió, Northeastern Brazil.

Urban cats in Northeastern Brazil show measurable T. cruzi seroprevalence, supporting their role as Chagas disease sentinels.

This cross-sectional seroprevalence study investigated exposure to Trypanosoma cruzi (the causative agent of Chagas disease) in urban domestic cats in Maceió, Alagoas, Northeastern Brazil. A total of 366 cats older than six months were enrolled, including 267 owned cats and 99 animals rescued by the regional Zoonosis Control Center. Anti-T. cruzi IgG antibodies were detected using the Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA), yielding an overall seroprevalence of 7.6% (28/366; 95% CI: 5.4–10.8%). No statistically significant associations were found between seropositivity and animal condition (owned vs. rescued), sex, age group, or breed, suggesting broad and indiscriminate exposure risk across the urban cat population. Spatial analysis using point maps and Kernel density estimation revealed a heterogeneous geographic distribution of sampled cats, with higher concentrations in the western and southwestern portions of Maceió. Seroreactive cases were spatially dispersed and largely co-located with areas of greater sampling intensity, indicating that case clustering may reflect sampling effort rather than true geographic hotspots. The authors emphasize that domestic cats, given their close proximity to humans, wide urban distribution, and diverse exposure routes, can serve as valuable environmental sentinels for T. cruzi in urban settings. These findings highlight an epidemiological gap in Chagas disease surveillance in Northeastern Brazil and support the integration of companion animals into One Health surveillance frameworks targeting zoonotic vector-borne diseases.

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