Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Mujica, Frances Heyward Currin
Author's Email Address	fcurri1@lsu.edu
URN	etd-06132007-063452
Title	Chagas in Culture and Place: A Mixed Methods Approach to a New Medical Geography of Chagas Disease in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department	Geography & Anthropology
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Andrew Curtis Committee Chair Helen Regis Committee Member Michael Leitner Committee Member Miles Richardson Committee Member Carol Foil Dean's Representative
Keywords	medical geography mexico los tuxtlas
Date of Defense	2007-05-03
Availability	unrestricted
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.
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