Chagas disease: national survey of seroprevalence in children under five years of age conducted in 2008

BACKGROUND Since the early 1990s, programs to control Chagas disease in South America have focused on eradicating domiciliary Triatoma infestans, the main vector. Seroprevalence studies of the chagasic infection are included as part of the vector control programs; they are essential to assess the i...

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Main Authors: Graciela Russomando, Blanca Cousiño, Zunilda Sanchez, Laura X Franco, Eva M Nara, Lilian Chena, Magaly Martínez, María E Galeano, Lucio Benitez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde
Series:Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762017005005102&lng=en&tlng=en
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spelling doaj-060206f15e9443bf8f8eb33264f824302020-11-24T23:36:38ZengInstituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da SaúdeMemórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.1678-8060010.1590/0074-02760160407S0074-02762017005005102Chagas disease: national survey of seroprevalence in children under five years of age conducted in 2008Graciela RussomandoBlanca CousiñoZunilda SanchezLaura X FrancoEva M NaraLilian ChenaMagaly MartínezMaría E GaleanoLucio BenitezBACKGROUND Since the early 1990s, programs to control Chagas disease in South America have focused on eradicating domiciliary Triatoma infestans, the main vector. Seroprevalence studies of the chagasic infection are included as part of the vector control programs; they are essential to assess the impact of vector control measures and to monitor the prevention of vector transmission. OBJECTIVE To assess the interruption of domiciliary vector transmission of Chagas disease by T. infestans in Paraguay by evaluating the current state of transmission in rural areas. METHODS A survey of seroprevalence of Chagas disease was carried out in a representative sample group of Paraguayans aged one to five years living in rural areas of Paraguay in 2008. Blood samples collected on filter paper from 12,776 children were tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Children whose serology was positive or undetermined (n = 41) were recalled to donate a whole blood sample for retesting. Their homes were inspected for current triatomine infestation. Blood samples from their respective mothers were also collected and tested to check possible transmission of the disease by a congenital route. FINDINGS A seroprevalence rate of 0.24% for Trypanosoma cruzi infection was detected in children under five years of age among the country’s rural population. Our findings indicate that T. cruzi was transmitted to these children vertically. The total number of infected children, aged one to five years living in these departments, was estimated at 1,691 cases with an annual incidence of congenital transmission of 338 cases per year. MAIN CONCLUSION We determined the impact of vector control in the transmission of T. cruzi, following uninterrupted vector control measures employed since 1999 in contiguous T. infestans-endemic areas of Paraguay, and this allowed us to estimate the degree of risk of congenital transmission in the country.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762017005005102&lng=en&tlng=enChagas diseasedomestic Triatoma infestansTrypanosoma cruziinterruption of transmissionseroprevalence
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Graciela Russomando
Blanca Cousiño
Zunilda Sanchez
Laura X Franco
Eva M Nara
Lilian Chena
Magaly Martínez
María E Galeano
Lucio Benitez
spellingShingle Graciela Russomando
Blanca Cousiño
Zunilda Sanchez
Laura X Franco
Eva M Nara
Lilian Chena
Magaly Martínez
María E Galeano
Lucio Benitez
Chagas disease: national survey of seroprevalence in children under five years of age conducted in 2008
Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
Chagas disease
domestic Triatoma infestans
Trypanosoma cruzi
interruption of transmission
seroprevalence
author_facet Graciela Russomando
Blanca Cousiño
Zunilda Sanchez
Laura X Franco
Eva M Nara
Lilian Chena
Magaly Martínez
María E Galeano
Lucio Benitez
author_sort Graciela Russomando
title Chagas disease: national survey of seroprevalence in children under five years of age conducted in 2008
title_short Chagas disease: national survey of seroprevalence in children under five years of age conducted in 2008
title_full Chagas disease: national survey of seroprevalence in children under five years of age conducted in 2008
title_fullStr Chagas disease: national survey of seroprevalence in children under five years of age conducted in 2008
title_full_unstemmed Chagas disease: national survey of seroprevalence in children under five years of age conducted in 2008
title_sort chagas disease: national survey of seroprevalence in children under five years of age conducted in 2008
publisher Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde
series Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
issn 1678-8060
description BACKGROUND Since the early 1990s, programs to control Chagas disease in South America have focused on eradicating domiciliary Triatoma infestans, the main vector. Seroprevalence studies of the chagasic infection are included as part of the vector control programs; they are essential to assess the impact of vector control measures and to monitor the prevention of vector transmission. OBJECTIVE To assess the interruption of domiciliary vector transmission of Chagas disease by T. infestans in Paraguay by evaluating the current state of transmission in rural areas. METHODS A survey of seroprevalence of Chagas disease was carried out in a representative sample group of Paraguayans aged one to five years living in rural areas of Paraguay in 2008. Blood samples collected on filter paper from 12,776 children were tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Children whose serology was positive or undetermined (n = 41) were recalled to donate a whole blood sample for retesting. Their homes were inspected for current triatomine infestation. Blood samples from their respective mothers were also collected and tested to check possible transmission of the disease by a congenital route. FINDINGS A seroprevalence rate of 0.24% for Trypanosoma cruzi infection was detected in children under five years of age among the country’s rural population. Our findings indicate that T. cruzi was transmitted to these children vertically. The total number of infected children, aged one to five years living in these departments, was estimated at 1,691 cases with an annual incidence of congenital transmission of 338 cases per year. MAIN CONCLUSION We determined the impact of vector control in the transmission of T. cruzi, following uninterrupted vector control measures employed since 1999 in contiguous T. infestans-endemic areas of Paraguay, and this allowed us to estimate the degree of risk of congenital transmission in the country.
topic Chagas disease
domestic Triatoma infestans
Trypanosoma cruzi
interruption of transmission
seroprevalence
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762017005005102&lng=en&tlng=en
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