Analyzing the impact of stray cat and dog populations on the prevalence of human Murine typhus cases in Nueces County and Harris County in Texas
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PURPOSE: Within the past 15 years, flea-borne Murine typhus has become a re-emerging zoonotic disease with a significant increase of human cases in urban areas of Texas. The cause of this epidemiological change is unknown, but stray dogs and cats are suspected to play a role in urban transmission dynamics. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence and strength of any statistical relationship between stray dog and stray cat populations and human Murine typhus cases. METHODS: This was a time-trend ecological research study using data from Nueces and Harris counties from 2011 to 2023. Stray dog and cat populations were estimated using municipal animal shelter animal intake data. Human Murine typhus case data was obtained from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to identify any linear relationships between stray animal and human data. KEY FINDINGS: In Nueces county, there was no linear relationship between stray dog or stray cat populations and human Murine typhus cases. In Harris county, there was a moderate negative linear relationship between both stray dog and stray cat populations and human cases. Major limitations in using shelter stray animal intake counts to estimate total stray animal populations restrict the level of accuracy of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: Despite study limitations, the differences in stray animal populations and Pearson's correlation coefficient between Nueces and Harris county indicate that stray animals play a more significant role in Harris county disease ecology. This study supports further investigation into the role of dogs and cats in Murine typhus transmission in urban regions.
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