Prevalence and risk factors for Chagas disease in pregnant women in Casanare, Colombia.

Abstract

Knowledge of the prevalence and risk factors associated with maternal infection is the first step to develop a surveillance system for congenital transmission of Chagas disease. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Casanare, a disease-endemic area in Colombia. A total of 982 patients were enrolled in the study. A global prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection of 4.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.8-5.3%) was found. Multivariate analysis showed that the most important risk-associated factors were age > 29 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.4, 95% CI = 0.9-12.4), rural residency (aOR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0-4.6), low education level (aOR = 10.2, 95% CI = 1.6-82.7), and previous knowledge of the vector (aOR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0-4.9). Relatives and siblings of infected mothers showed a prevalence of 9.3%. These findings may help physicians to investigate congenital cases, screen Chagas disease in siblings and relatives, and provide early treatment to prevent the chronic complications of Chagas disease.