Abstract
Chagas is a potentially fatal chronic disease affecting large numbers of people across the Americas and exported throughout the world through human population movement. It is caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, which is transmitted by triatomine vectors to humans and a wide range of alternative host species. The database described here was compiled to allow the risk of vectorial transmission to humans to be mapped using geospatial models. The database collates all available records, published since 2003, for prevalence and occurrence of infection in humans, vectors and alternative hosts, and links each record to a defined time and location. A total of 16,802 records of infection have been extracted from the published literature and unpublished sources. The resulting database can be used to improve our understanding of the geographic variation in vector infection prevalence and to estimate the risk of vectorial transmission of T. cruzi to humans.
Highlights
Background & SummaryChagas disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi
Oral transmission is the primary mode by which wild animals are infected due to frequent ingestion of infected triatomines10, and outbreaks of orally transmitted T. cruzi in humans occur via contaminated food sources, extending the range of vector species that present a risk to humans11–13
We have collated data from both research and surveillance programmes to provide a contemporary database of T. cruzi infection in human, vector and alternative host populations across the region
Summary
Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. It is endemic across most of Latin America causing high levels of morbidity and mortality. Oral transmission is the primary mode by which wild animals are infected due to frequent ingestion of infected triatomines, and outbreaks of orally transmitted T. cruzi in humans occur via contaminated food sources, extending the range of vector species that present a risk to humans. We have collated data from both research and surveillance programmes to provide a contemporary database of T. cruzi infection in human, vector and alternative host populations across the region. Published datasets have focused on one endemic country or one data type6,18,19 To our knowledge this is the first database covering the endemic region as a whole and incorporating infection in humans, vectors and alternative host species with each record linked to a defined time and location
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