Identifier

etd-06132007-063452

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Geography and Anthropology

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

This project is concerned with a new medical geography approach to investigating Chagas disease in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico which focuses on the intersection of disease risk and place. More specifically this work will describe the domestic cycle of Chagas disease and the cultural factors that perpetuate its transmission in six communities in the Los Tuxtlas region, Municipio San Andres, Veracruz State, Mexico. Using several collection techniques, such as interviews and house type surveys, as well as identifying and collecting the vector Triatoma dimidiata (including testing them for the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi), this dissertation describes the characteristics of the Chagas landscape in this region. During a five month field season, 58 Triatoma dimidiata were collected from the domestic habitat. In addition, nearly 400 interviews were conducted with project participants lending to the conclusions that although the Chagas disease landscape is present in this region, it is not a well known disease among local residents.

Date

2007

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Andrew Curtis

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.2115

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