Seroprevalence, epidemiological factors, and spatial patterns of exposure to Trypanosoma cruzi in urban cats in Maceió, Northeastern Brazil.

Domestic cats have been recognized as potential environmental sentinels for zoonoses due to their proximity to human populations, wide distribution in urban environments, and exposure to multiple pathogen transmission routes. In the context of Chagas disease, however, studies assessing serological exposure in cats in urban areas of Northeastern Brazil remain scarce. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi IgG antibodies and to describe spatial patterns of seroreactivity in urban cats in the municipality of Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil. A total of 366 cats older than six months were included, comprising 267 owned cats and 99 animals rescued by the Zoonosis Control Center of Alagoas. Detection of anti-T. cruzi IgG antibodies was performed using the Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA). Spatial analysis was conducted in a descriptive and exploratory manner using point maps and Kernel density estimates. The observed seroprevalence was 7.6% (28/366; 95% CI: 5.4-10.8%). No statistically significant associations were identified between seropositivity and "animal condition," "sex," "age group," or "breed." Spatial analysis revealed a heterogeneous distribution of sampled cats, with higher concentrations in the western and southwestern portions of the municipality. Seroreactive cases were spatially dispersed and largely overlapped with areas of greater sampling intensity. Kernel density surfaces for cases and sampling effort showed similar patterns. These findings indicate serological evidence of exposure to T. cruzi in urban cats in Maceió and reinforce the importance of integrated, multispecies approaches in Chagas disease surveillance.