U.S. researchers found that while dogs are one of the main carriers of Trypanosoma cruzi — the parasite that causes Chagas disease in humans, cats, canines and other mammals — they also could aid in identifying ways to curb disease spread. “One of our most significant findings is the importance of dogs in both the spread of the disease and the potential to help control it,” one researcher said. The search for a vaccine against the parasite in mongrel dogs also is under way.

7/13 New Kerala (India)