Current situation and perspectives regarding human Chagas disease in midwestern of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Recognising the importance of Chagas disease in Brazil, Bambuí set up epidemiological surveillance for Chagas disease in 1974 and was the first municipality to do so. To ascertain the current epidemiology of Chagas disease in this municipality, 1.782 blood samples from the general population were an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 2014-06, Vol.109 (3), p.374-378
Main Authors: Matos, Christiane Santos, Júnior, José Eloy dos Santos, Medeiros, Fernanda Alvarenga Cardoso, Furtado, Eliana, Dias, João Carlos Pinto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Bambuí
Brazil - epidemiology
Chagas disease
Chagas Disease - epidemiology
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
PARASITOLOGY
Population Surveillance
Prevalence
Seroepidemiologic Studies
seroprevalence
Short Communications
TROPICAL MEDICINE
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Summary:Recognising the importance of Chagas disease in Brazil, Bambuí set up epidemiological surveillance for Chagas disease in 1974 and was the first municipality to do so. To ascertain the current epidemiology of Chagas disease in this municipality, 1.782 blood samples from the general population were analysed; 7.7% of samples were found to be seropositive for Chagas disease. A strong positive correlation between increasing age and Chagas disease was evident in both genders, with the highest prevalence in individuals aged over 60 years. Clinically, the cardiodigestive form of Chagas disease was the most common in these samples. These data confirm the interruption of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission, in parallel with a still important residual morbidity of Chagas disease in the county, thus supporting political decisions that will prioritise epidemiological surveillance and medical treatment of Chagas disease in the coming years.
ISSN:1678-8060
0074-0276
1678-8060
DOI:10.1590/0074-0276130385