Environmental Public Health Commons^™

Association Of School Instructional Mode With Community Covid-19 Incidence During August–December 2020 In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Pauline D. Terebuh, Jeffrey M. Albert, Jacqueline W. Curtis, Kurt C. Stange, Jill E. Miracle, Wail Yar, Prakash R. Ganesh, Heidi L. Gullett, Johnie Rose

Faculty Scholarship

Remote and hybrid modes of instruction were employed as alternatives to in-person instruction as part of early mitigation efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the impact of a public school district’s instructional mode on cumulative incidence and transmission in the surrounding community by employing a generalized estimating equations approach to estimate the association with weekly COVID-19 case counts by zip code in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, from August to December 2020. Remote instruction only (RI) was employed by 7 of 20 school districts; 13 used some non-remote instruction (NRI) (2–15 weeks). Weekly incidence increased in all zip codes …

Investigating The Influence Of Prenatal Metals Exposures On Childhood Mitochondrial Biomarkers, Z'Dhanne Williams

Molloy Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference

Note: Z'Dhanne is a current Molloy student and conducted this research while studying at Columbia University - Mailman School of Public Health

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Mitochondrial health plays a vital role in the development of chronic health conditions, including neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Mitochondria have the unique ability to independently control replication of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depending on conditions of cellular stress, including oxidative stress. Exposure to environmental metals affects a variety of health outcomes via oxidative stress pathways. Our objective was to determine the association between prenatal exposure to metals on two biomarkers of mtDNA in child blood: …

Incidence And Seasonality Of Kawasaki Disease In Children In The Philippines, And Its Association With Ambient Air Temperature, Aden Kay Celis-Seposo, Lina Madaniyazi, Xerxes Seposo, Masahiro Hashizume, Lay Myint Yoshida, Michiko Toizumi

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

Despite an unknown cause, Kawasaki disease (KD) is currently the primary leading cause of acquired heart disease in developed countries in children and has been increasing in recent years. Research efforts have explored environmental factors related to KD, but they are still unclear especially in the tropics. We aimed to describe the incidence of KD in children, assess its seasonality, and determine its association with ambient air temperature in the National Capital Region (NCR), Philippines from January 2009 to December 2019.

Methods

Monthly number of KD cases from the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) disease registry was collected to determine …

Family Medicine’S Role In Addressing The Intersections Of Redlining And Climate Change, Daryl O. Traylor, Eboni E. Anderson, Brianna Clark, Alex M. Smith, Cooper K. Allenbrand

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Redlining, the practice of discriminating against specific neighborhoods based on race and socioeconomic status, leads to persistent environmental hazards and socioeconomic inequalities that have lasting adverse health effects on their populations. Health disparities are further exacerbated through the concentration of environmental hazards, as well as the escalating impact of climate change, which poses an increased risk of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, heat-related illness, infectious diseases, food insecurity, and socioeconomic difficulties in redline neighborhoods.

This paper examines the interplay of redlining, climate change, and health disparities, with an emphasis on the enduring consequences for these marginalized communities. Through …

Willingness To Utilize A Mobile Treatment Unit In Five Counties At The Epicenter Of The Us Rural Opioid Epidemic., Snigdha R. Peddireddy, Melvin D. Livingston Iii, April M. Young, Patricia R. Freeman, Umedjon Ibragimov, Kelli A. Komro, Michelle R. Lofwall, Carrie B. Oser, Michele Staton, Hannah L. F. Cooper

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: US federal policies are evolving to expand the provision of mobile treatment units (MTUs) offering medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Mobile MOUD services are critical for rural areas with poor geographic access to fixed-site treatment providers. This study explored willingness to utilize an MTU among a sample of people who use opioids in rural Eastern Kentucky counties at the epicenter of the US opioid epidemic.

METHODS: The study analyzed Cross-sectional survey data from the Kentucky Communities and Researchers Engaging to Halt the Opioid Epidemic (CARE2HOPE) study covering five rural counties in the state. Logistic regression models investigated the …

Adsorbents From Rice Husk And Shrimp Shell For Effective Removal Of Heavy Metals And Reactive Dyes In Water, Md Ibrahim H Mondal, Shovra Chandra Chakraborty, Md Saifur Rahman, Shaik Merkatur Hakim Marjuban, Firoz Ahmed, John L Zhou, Mohammad Boshir Ahmed, Masoumeh Zargar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Widespread contamination by heavy metals (HMs) and dyes poses a major health risk to people and ecosystems requiring effective treatment. In this work, rice husk (RH) and shrimp shells were extracted to obtain amorphous silica and chitosan, respectively, which were utilized to produce nano-chitosan-coated silica (NCCS). To ensure the stability of the nanoparticles, silica was freeze-dried after being coated with nano-chitosan. Functional groups (-NH

The Inequitable Burden Of Infectious Diseases Among Remote-Living Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Australians: A Product Of History, Stephanie L. Enkel, Rebecca Famlonga, Hannah M. M. Thomas, Nina Lansbury, Jonathan R. Carapetis, Glenn Pearson, Asha C. Bowen

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Insufficient and poorly maintained housing and plumbing in many remote Australian Indigenous communities in Australia results in reduced capacity to maintain personal hygiene, contributing to infectious disease inequalities. Infections from Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) and sequalae are often noted to be the result of contextual poverty; a product of over 230 years of discriminatory practice that has excluded Indigenous people from the basic human rights of healthy, maintained housing afforded to most in the nation. The solutions for eliminating diseases of inequity among Australian Indigenous population are known, their success is historically documented, and yet they are to be comprehensively …

A Fork In The Road: Uncovering The Impact Of Industrial Animal Agriculture On The Physical Health Of Communities Of Color, Mariana Zepeda

Population Health Research Brief Series

Nearly all (99%) farmed animals in the U.S. come from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). CAFOs are industrial agriculture facilities defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as operations where animals are raised in confinement and meet animal size and waste material thresholds. Communities located near CAFOs, which tend to have high shares of low-income and racial/ethnic minority residents, are at risk of exposure to CAFO-related air and water pollutants. This brief summarizes the health risks for communities located near CAFOs. Additionally, it calls for government regulations that improve transparency, management, and consumer empowerment.

Natural Spaces, A Social Determinant Of Health, And Self-Rated Health Among Medical Students, Josiah P. Stryd, Anil N. F. Aranha

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background and Purpose: Natural spaces are areas which have a majority of natural ground cover such as vegetation or water. These spaces have positive effects on both physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether medical students who have greater accessibility and use of natural spaces have better self-rated health.

Methods: M2-M4 students from Wayne State University School of Medicine received an email link to the Qualtrics-based study. Variables evaluated included: sociodemographics, residence zip code, natural spaces access frequency, distance, and transportation method. Self-rated physical and mental health was measured using the Healthy Days measure …

The Effects Of Environmental Noise On Annoyance, Stress, And Urine Cortisol Levels Among Residents Living Near Industrial Sites In Bangkok, Thailand, Nutthajit Onmek, Narisa Kengtrong Bordeerat, Supat Wangwongwatana

Kesmas

People are exposed to environmental noise each day. It may be annoying, cause stress, induce hormonal changes, and negatively affect long-term health. This study aimed to determine the effects of environmental noise on annoyance, perceived stress, stress symptoms, and urine cortisol in people living in a selected area. This cross-sectional study was conducted from April to October 2022 on 142 participants. Urine samples were collected to determine cortisol levels, and perceived stress, stress symptoms, and environmental noise annoyance were evaluated using questionnaires. Stress symptoms correlated with traffic, industrial, and community noise, but not aircraft noise. Community noise correlated most strongly …

Aloe Vera Assisted Green Synthesis Of Ag And Cu Co-Doped Zno Nanoparticles And A Comprehensive Analysis Of Their Structural, Morphological, Optical, Electrical And Antibacterial Properties, Md Hasnat Rashid, Saiful Islam Sujoy, Md Saifur Rahman, Md Jahidul Haque

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigates the potential of utilizing Aloe vera-assisted green synthesis with transition metal dopants of Ag and Cu for greater efficiency and sustainability in advanced scientific applications utilizing ZnO nanoparticles. Samples were prepared using the co-precipitation method, maintaining a basic pH media of 10. Aloe vera gel extract was chosen for its acclaimed role as a stabilizing and reducing agent and its proven antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. The XRD report revealed the hexagonal Wurtzite crystal structure of nanoparticles, exhibiting a crystallite size range of 17-23 nm with substantial alterations in lattice parameters, dislocation density, and bond lengths when …

Analyzing The Ramifications Of Climate Change On Mental Health, Salvatore A. Medori

CAFE Symposium 2024

When thinking about the vast array of impacts that the climate crisis has on humanity, there are many things that come to mind, but mental health impacts are likely not one of them. Even though research demonstrates that mental effects from any form of disaster far exceed the physical health implications mental health impacts of the largest disaster facing humanity since the Second World War are rarely considered at all, let alone when solutions are being created. This has led to a hidden crisis emerging underneath an even larger crisis, with serious consequences for most individuals across the globe. The …

Examining Media Reports Of Pediatric Unintentional Firearm Injury Deaths For Prevention Messaging Concerning Secured Storage Of Firearms: Us, 2021-2022, Bart Hammig, Abigali Bordelon, Corrine Chandler

Public Policy Faculty & Graduate Student Publications and Presentations

Background

Media outlets that report on firearm injuries and deaths may provide an important role in emphasizing safe storage practices, particularly when unintentional firearm injuries and deaths occur among young children. There has been a scarcity of research on aspects of media reports on injuries, particularly concerning prevention messaging. The objective of the present study was to examine prevention messaging on the safe storage of firearms among media outlets when reporting on unintentional firearm injury deaths among children aged 0–11.

Methods

The Gun Violence Archive collects information from media sources regarding firearm injuries and deaths. We analyzed data from 2021 …

Park Use, Urban Environmental Justice, And Place Attachment In Parks In Low-Income Neighborhoods In New York City, Javier Eduardo Otero Peña

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This three-article dissertation brings environmental psychology themes and questions to a large-scale public health research project about a subset of community parks and park renovations in low-income neighborhoods in New York City (NYC). What attributes and perceived aspects of the physical and social environment of parks and their neighborhoods are associated with higher park use? How do residents of gentrifying low-income neighborhoods feel about park renovations that took place in their communities? What can be learned from parks, park renovations and place attachment from exploring user-generated content in the Google Maps platform? Each of the articles presented in this dissertation …

Proteome Analysis For Inflammation Related To Acute And Convalescent Infection, Tara K Sigdel, Swastika Sur, Patrick Boada, Suzanne M Mcdermott, Cecilia S Lindestam Arlehamn, Kristy O Murray, Linda K Bockenstedt, Maggie Kerwin, Elaine F Reed, Eva Harris, Ken Stuart, Bjoern Peters, Ana Sesma, Ruth R Montgomery, Minnie M Sarwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Infectious diseases are a significant burden in global healthcare. Pathogens engage with different host defense mechanisms. However, it is currently unknown if there are disease-specific immune signatures and/or if different pathogens elicit common immune-associated molecular entities to common therapeutic interventions. We studied patients enrolled through the Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC), which focuses on immune responses to various infections. Blood samples were collected and analyzed from patients during infection and follow-up time points at the convalescent stage. The study included samples from patients with Lyme disease (LD), tuberculosis (TB), malaria (MLA), dengue virus (DENV), and West Nile virus (WNV), as …

Active Herbicide Ingredients In Roundup Ready Xtend Products, Glyphosate And Dicamba, Results In Hypoactivity In Zebrafish Larvae When Exposed During Development, Ryker Bond

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Is Northwest Indiana Prepared To Be A “Climate Haven”?, Luke Carl Jorgensen

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Extreme Drought Impacts Have Been Underestimated In Grasslands And Shrublands Globally, Melinda D Smith, Kate D Wilkins, Martin C Holdrege, Peter Wilfahrt, Scott L Collins, Alan K Knapp, Osvaldo E Sala, Jeffrey S Dukes, Richard P Phillips, Laura Yahdjian, Laureano A Gherardi, Timothy Ohlert, Claus Beier, Lauchlan H Fraser, Anke Jentsch, Michael E Loik, Fernando T Maestre, Sally A Power, Qiang Yu, Andrew J Felton, Seth M Munson, Yiqi Luo, Hamed Abdoli, Mehdi Abedi, Concepción L Alados, Juan Alberti, Moshe Alon, Hui An, Brian Anacker, Maggie Anderson, Harald Auge, Seton Bachle, Khadijeh Bahalkeh, Michael Bahn, Amgaa Batbaatar, Taryn Bauerle, Karen H Beard, Kai Behn, Ilka Beil, Lucio Biancari, Irmgard Blindow, Viviana Florencia Bondaruk, Elizabeth T Borer, Edward W Bork, Carlos Martin Bruschetti, Kerry M Byrne, James F Cahill, Dianela A Calvo, Michele Carbognani, Augusto Cardoni, Cameron N Carlyle, Miguel Castillo-Garcia, Scott X Chang, Jeff Chieppa, Marcus V Cianciaruso, Ofer Cohen, Amanda L Cordeiro, Daniela F Cusack, Sven Dahlke, Pedro Daleo, Carla M D'Antonio, Lee H Dietterich, Tim S Doherty, Maren Dubbert, Anne Ebeling, Nico Eisenhauer, Felícia M Fischer, T'Ai G W Forte, Tobias Gebauer, Beatriz Gozalo, Aaron C Greenville, Karlo G Guidoni-Martins, Heather J Hannusch, Siri Vatsø Haugum, Yann Hautier, Mariet Hefting, Hugh A L Henry, Daniela Hoss, Johannes Ingrisch, Oscar Iribarne, Forest Isbell, Yari Johnson, Samuel Jordan, Eugene F Kelly, Kaitlin Kimmel, Juergen Kreyling, György Kröel-Dulay, Alicia Kröpfl, Angelika Kübert, Andrew Kulmatiski, Eric G Lamb, Klaus Steenberg Larsen, Julie Larson, Jason Lawson, Cintia V Leder, Anja Linstädter, Jielin Liu, Shirong Liu, Alexandra G Lodge, Grisel Longo, Alejandro Loydi, Junwei Luan, Frederick Curtis Lubbe, Craig Macfarlane, Kathleen Mackie-Haas, Andrey V Malyshev, Adrián Maturano-Ruiz, Thomas Merchant, Daniel B Metcalfe, Akira S Mori, Edwin Mudongo, Gregory S Newman, Uffe N Nielsen, Dale Nimmo, Yujie Niu, Paola Nobre, Rory C O'Connor, Romà Ogaya, Gastón R Oñatibia, Ildikó Orbán, Brooke Osborne, Rafael Otfinowski, Meelis Pärtel, Josep Penuelas, Pablo L Peri, Guadalupe Peter, Alessandro Petraglia, Catherine Picon-Cochard, Valério D Pillar, Juan Manuel Piñeiro-Guerra, Laura W Ploughe, Robert M Plowes, Cristy Portales-Reyes, Suzanne M Prober, Yolanda Pueyo, Sasha C Reed, Euan G Ritchie, Dana Aylén Rodríguez, William E Rogers, Christiane Roscher, Ana M Sánchez, Bráulio A Santos, María Cecilia Scarfó, Eric W Seabloom, Baoku Shi, Lara Souza, Andreas Stampfli, Rachel J Standish, Marcelo Sternberg, Wei Sun, Marie Sünnemann, Michelle Tedder, Pål Thorvaldsen, Dashuan Tian, Katja Tielbörger, Alejandro Valdecantos, Liesbeth Van Den Brink, Vigdis Vandvik, Mathew R Vankoughnett, Liv Guri Velle, Changhui Wang, Yi Wang, Glenda M Wardle, Christiane Werner, Cunzheng Wei, Georg Wiehl, Jennifer L Williams, Amelia A Wolf, Michaela Zeiter, Fawei Zhang, Juntao Zhu, Ning Zong, Xiaoan Zuo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of short-term (~1 y) drought events-the most common duration of drought-globally. Yet the impact of this intensification of drought on ecosystem functioning remains poorly resolved. This is due in part to the widely disparate approaches ecologists have employed to study drought, variation in the severity and duration of drought studied, and differences among ecosystems in vegetation, edaphic and climatic attributes that can mediate drought impacts. To overcome these problems and better identify the factors that modulate drought responses, we used a coordinated distributed experiment to quantify the impact of short-term drought on …

Demon Mineral, Brady Desanti

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Demon Mineral (2024), directed by Hadley Austin.

Organic Dust Exposure Enhances Sars-Cov-2 Entry In A Pkcα- And Adam-17-Dependent Manner, Abenaya Muralidharan, Christopher Bauer, Claire Nissen, St. Patrick Reid, Jill A. Poole, Todd A. Wyatt

Journal Articles: Environmental, Agricultural & Occupational Health

No abstract provided.

Environmental Metrics In Action: Exploring U.S. Superfund Sites Affiliated With The Fashion Industry, Nidia K. Trejo

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Little is known of Superfund sites, long-term clean up sites, affiliated with the apparel and footwear supply chain in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) manages the clean up of contaminated sites that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment under the Superfund program. A site can become contaminated if hazardous waste from industrial operations are mismanaged or dumped into the environment, in an uncontrolled manner. In this study, a proposed Superfund site (Mohawk Tannery in Nashua, New Hampshire), an active Superfund site (Ciba-Geigy Corp. in Toms River, New Jersery), and a …

Identifying Factors That Reduce Substance Use Liability, Victoria Allen, Nick Blanch, Sunday Wright, Kelci Straka-Mai, Aarushi Patel, Caleb Bridgwater, Lubidia Menjivar, Cate Vaughn, Courtney Blondino Phd, The Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry, Michael M. Vanyukov Phd, Hermine H.M. Maes Phd, Elizabeth Prom-Wormley Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Knowledge And Perception Of Hand Hygiene And Associated Factors Among Final Year Medical And Nursing Students In Dar Es Salaam Tanzania, Anthony Baltazary Ngowi

Master of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Hand hygiene, when practiced correctly and consistently is a simple and effective

method to prevent healthcare associated infections. These infections are acquired during a patients’ hospital stay and pose a major worldwide public health problem. The knowledge and practices related to hand hygiene among health workers need to be instilled early on during their training to develop a culture of correct and consistent practice. Existing literature has explored hand hygiene among health workers but very few studies have looked at it amongst medical and nursing students, who are the healthcare workers of tomorrow. This study aimed to assess hand hygiene …

Microbial Profile And Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns Of Surgical Intra-Abdominal Infections At A Tertiary Hospital In Tanzania A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study, Abduel Julius Kitua

Master of Surgery

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Among infections of surgical importance, intra-abdominal infections prevail among the most common in surgical patients with considerable morbidity and mortality. The ever-rising microbial resistance to commonly available antibiotics and geographical variations in microbial profile and resistance patterns poses a challenge to the management of these surgical infections of abdominal origin. The aim of this study was to evaluate microbiological characteristics and antibiotic susceptibility of isolates from intra-abdominal infections at a tertiary hospital in Tanzania and how these influence early treatment outcomes.

Medications For Opioid Use Disorder & Implications For Mobile Methadone Units, Sarah Boeke, Samantha Singer, Stella Resko

Substance Use Research Team

Research has shown the urgent need for updates to guidelines regulating opioid treatment programs (OTPs), especially as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated overdose rates and the drug supply became increasingly contaminated with fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and xylazine (Moghtaderi et al., 2023)(DEA, 2022). Part 8 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), originally enacted in 2001, includes regulations that guide OTPs. The 42 CFR Part 8 final rule, issued by SAMHSA, updates these federal regulations. It is the first major revision since 2001, aimed at expanding access to care, improving patient outcomes, and integrating lessons learned from the COVID-19 …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Cognitive Functioning In Well-Controlled Asthma, Erin Walsh

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Asthma is a common lung disease that impacts lung functioning through inflammatory based mechanisms. Past research suggests that decreased blood oxygenation due to asthma attacks may impair cognitive capabilities (Irani et al., 2017). Moreover, the observed differences in cognition between those with and without asthma may be associated with disease severity or asthma control respectively in asthma populations. The current study explored differences in cognitive functioning between college students with and without self-reported asthma. Sociodemographic data, self-reported asthma severity, and measures of asthma control were collected. The current study did not find significant differences in measures of cognitive efficiency between …

The Effect Modification Of Pm2.5 And Ozone On The Short-Term Associations Between Temperature And Mortality Across The Urban Areas Of Japan, Muhammad Abdul Basit Ahmad Tajudin, Ryusei Kubo, Chris Fook Sheng Ng, Masahiro Hashizume, Xerxes Seposo, Yoonhee Kim, Hironori Nishikawa, Hirohisa Takano, Kayo Ueda

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

The acute effects of temperature and air pollution on mortality are well-known environmental factors that have been receiving more recognition lately. However, the health effects resulting from the interaction of air pollution and temperature remain uncertain, particularly in cities with low levels of pollution. This study aims to examine the modification effects of particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 µm or less (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) on the association between temperature and mortality.

Methods

We collected the daily number of all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality from 20 major cities in Japan from 2012-2018. We obtained meteorological data from …

Measured Air Quality Impacts After Teaching Parents About Cooking Ventilation With A Video: A Pilot Study, Stephanie M. Holm, Brett C. Singer, Mi-Suk Kang Dufour, Woody Delp, James E. S. Nolan, P. Jacob Bueno De Mesquita, Et Al.

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Cooking-related emissions contribute to air pollutants in the home and may influence children’s health outcomes.

Objective

In this pilot study, we investigate the effects of a cooking ventilation intervention in homes with gas stoves, including a video-based educational intervention and range hood replacement (when needed) in children’s homes.

Methods

This was a pilot (n = 14), before-after trial (clinicaltrials.gov #NCT04464720) in homes in the San Francisco Bay Area that had a school-aged child, a gas stove, and either a venting range hood or over-the-range microwave/hood. Cooking events, ventilation use, and indoor air pollution were measured in homes for …

High Prevalence Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) And Associated Risk To Humans In Central Illinois, Esther Onuselogu

Masters Theses

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a neglected tropical disease and a growing health threat in the United States. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) often coexist with humans in urban and suburban areas and serve as reservoir hosts for T. cruzi. While T. cruzi is rare in humans and domestic animals in the U.S., it is common in wildlife species, particularly raccoons and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in the raccoon population of Central Illinois and evaluate the risk of transmission to humans. …