Seroprevalence and sociocultural conditionants of Chagas disease in school-aged children of marginal zones of Asunción

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 1998-07, Vol.31 (4), p.347-353
• Main Authors: Vera, N I, Maldonado, M, Yaluff, G, Simancas, L, de Arias, A R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Chagas Disease - epidemiology; Chagas Disease - immunology; Chagas' disease; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Male; Odds Ratio; Paraguay - epidemiology; Parasites; Prevalence; Public health; Risk factors; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Rural populations; School children; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Sex Distribution; Socioeconomic Factors; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Trypanosoma cruzi - immunology; Urbanization; Vector-borne diseases
• ISSN: 0037-8682; 1678-9849; 0037-8682; 1678-9849
• DOI: 10.1590/S0037-86821998000400003

Chagas disease is becoming a public health problem in Latin America due to the wide distribution, the high prevalence, the magnitude of the damage caused and the difficulties to control it. In Paraguay, the disease is mainly distributed in the departments of Paraguarí, Cordillera and Central. Prevalence in marginal zones, where migrations from rural populations and endemic areas make possible the urbanization of the disease, has no been studied yet. This is a descriptive study with a cross-sectional sampling and a probabilistic system recruitment carried out in school aged children from marginal zones of Asunción to determine the prevalence of Chagas' disease. Serological methods, parasite isolation and questionnaires were used to achieve the goals. Nine hundred and fifty three children were studied to determine the prevalence of Chagas' disease in marginal zones which was 1.4%.