Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is considered a typical low-income population sickness of the developing countries in Latin America. Given the historical relevance of CD in individuals in southern Rio Grande do Sul (RS) State, Brazil, the aim of this study was to identify the knowledge of the CD and its vectors by cardiac patients, and the prevalence of anti-T cruzi antibodies in these individuals in Pelotas, city located in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state, Brazil. The subjects with cardiac disease were submitted to a semi-structured questionnaire as well as two serological tests in order to detect anti-T. cruzi IgG antibodies. Of the individuals that born in municipalities showing the highest triatomine infestation rates in recent decades, 81.8% were able to recognize the vector insect (p = 0.0042; OR = 5.9), and 83.3% reported either themselves or someone in their families to have CD (p = 0.043, OR = 5.2). Of the 54 patients submitted to serological analysis, only 01 patient (1.9%) was positive for anti-T. cruzi antibodies, a 55 year old man from the rural area of Canguçu county. This study provides support for the evaluation to be extended to other cardiology centers, given the importance of Chagas disease in Brazil.
Highlights
Chagas disease (CD), known as American trypanosomiasis, is thought to be typical of low-income populations (Dias, 2000)
As a consequence of the severity of the disease in its chronic cardiac phase and the high prevalence estimated for anti-T. cruzi antibodies among the southern RS population, this study aimed to identify the knowledge about Chagas disease and its vectors, and to evaluate the anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibody prevalence in patients with a heart disease history in southern Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil
Serum from patients was tested for anti-T. cruzi antibody detection by means of Chemoluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA) (ARCHITECT Chagas®, Abbott) and Indirect Immunofluorescence Reaction (IIFR) (WAMA® Diagnostica), in compliance with the norms established by the Ministry of Health, which advocates the use of two specific techniques for CD diagnosis
Summary
Chagas disease (CD), known as American trypanosomiasis, is thought to be typical of low-income populations (Dias, 2000). In Latin America, 5.4 million people are estimated to be Trypanosoma cruzi carriers at risk of developing the disease in its chronic cardiac manifestation. In Brazil, there are between 1.5 and 2 million. 4 pp.867871 people infected with the parasite, of whom 20 to 40% will develop the disease in its cardiac form (Nobrega et al, 2014). Martins-Melo et al (2014), from a systematic review and meta-analysis, evaluated that the prevalence of CD in Brazil, in addition to being increasingly urbanized, can reach 4.6 million people
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