Continuing evidence of Chagas disease along the Texas-Mexico border

Chagas disease is a chronic parasitic infection that progresses to dilated cardiomyopathy in 30% of human cases. Public health efforts target diagnosing asymptomatic cases, as therapeutic efficacy diminishes as irreversible tissue damage progresses. Physician diagnosis of Chagas disease cases in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2018-11, Vol.12 (11), p.e0006899
Main Authors: Nolan, Melissa S, Aguilar, David, Brown, Eric L, Gunter, Sarah M, Ronca, Shannon E, Hanis, Craig L, Murray, Kristy O
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Analysis
Cardiomyopathy
Causes of
Chagas disease
Chagas Disease - diagnosis
Chagas Disease - epidemiology
Chronic infection
Cohorts
Congestive cardiomyopathy
Diabetes
Diagnosis
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Disease transmission
Diseases
Distribution
Electrocardiography
ELISA
Environmental science
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Epidemiology
Female
Health aspects
Humans
Infection
Infections
Infectious diseases
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Mammals
Medical personnel
Medical research
Medical schools
Medical tests
Medicine
Medicine and Health Sciences
Mexico - epidemiology
Myocardial diseases
Parasitic diseases
Pediatrics
People and places
Physicians
Prevalence studies (Epidemiology)
Public health
Research and Analysis Methods
Sleep apnea
Studies
Testing
Texas - epidemiology
Tissue
Tropical diseases
Type 2 diabetes
United States
Vector-borne diseases
Vectors (Biology)
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Description
Summary:Chagas disease is a chronic parasitic infection that progresses to dilated cardiomyopathy in 30% of human cases. Public health efforts target diagnosing asymptomatic cases, as therapeutic efficacy diminishes as irreversible tissue damage progresses. Physician diagnosis of Chagas disease cases in the United States is low, partially due to lack of awareness of the potential burden in the United States. The current study tested a patient cohort of 1,196 Starr County, Texas residents using the Hemagen Chagas ELISA Kit as a preliminary screening assay. Samples testing positive using the Hemagen test were subjected to additional confirmatory tests. Two patients (0.17%) without previous Chagas disease diagnosis were identified; both had evidence of acquiring disease in the United States or along the Texas-Mexico border. The Texas-Mexico border is a foci of Chagas disease human cases, with a local disease burden potentially twice the national estimate of Hispanic populations. It is imperative that physicians consider persons with residential histories along the Texas-Mexico border for Chagas disease testing.
ISSN:1935-2735
1935-2727
1935-2735
DOI:10.1371/journal.pntd.0006899