Abstract
A seroepidemiological survey was carried out to evaluate Trypanosoma cruzi infection in an endemic area of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, involving rural residents. Sixteen municipalities were randomly selected, 15 from the west mesoregion and one from the central, with an estimated population of 83,852 individuals. A total of 1,950 blood samples were collected in the west mesoregion and 390 in Caicó. Anti-T. cruzi antibodies were detected using the Chagatest® ELISA HAI-hemagglutination kits and indirect immunofluorescence. As sera presented indeterminate results, TESAcruzi® western blot was performed to confirm reactivity. An estimated seroprevalence of 6.5% was determined for the west mesoregion and 3.3% for Caicó. Seropositivity rises progressively with the age of individuals, up to 40 years in Caicó and up to 50 years in the west mesoregion. Only educational level and knowledge regarding the triatomine were associated with seropositivity. No seroreactive individuals under 18 years of age were identified. Infection by T. cruzi remains high and is concentrated in municipalities in the central western area of the west mesoregion; however, evidence suggests a decline in vector transmission in this mesoregion and in Caicó. Epidemiological variables appear not to influence seropositivity, with the exception of education and knowledge concerning the triatomine, among seroreactive individuals from the west mesoregion.
Highlights
A seroepidemiological survey was carried out to evaluate Trypanosoma cruzi infection in an endemic area of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, involving rural residents
American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease is an endemic infection, with an essentially chronic evolution caused by the etiological agent, the protozoan T. cruzi[1], and results in a long association between the host and the parasite
There remain rural populations residing in environments where the vectors of the parasite can be found in both the peridomicile and intradomicile spaces, in different geographical regions in several Latin American countries, including Brazil
Summary
A seroepidemiological survey was carried out to evaluate Trypanosoma cruzi infection in an endemic area of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, involving rural residents. Seropositivity rises progressively with the age of individuals, up to 40 years in Caicó and up to 50 years in the west mesoregion. Conclusions: Infection by T. cruzi remains high and is concentrated in municipalities in the central western area of the west mesoregion; evidence suggests a decline in vector transmission in this mesoregion and in Caicó. Epidemiological variables appear not to influence seropositivity, with the exception of education and knowledge concerning the triatomine, among seroreactive individuals from the west mesoregion. In Brazil, the first national serological survey (1975-1980) estimated a prevalence of infection by T. cruzi of 4.2% in the general rural population[5]. In the Northeastern region, the prevalence of T. cruzi infection was 0.9%, with the highest prevalence of 0.2% for RN7
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