Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection in Schoolchildren and in Pregnant Women from an Amazonian Region in Orellana Province, Ecuador

Overview

Journal Am J Trop Med Hyg

Specialty Tropical Medicine

Date 2015 Aug 19

PMID 26283751

Citations 9

Authors

Caty Carrera Vargas

Alberto Orlando Narvaez

Jenny Muzzio Aroca

Gonzalo Shiguango

Luiggi Martini Robles

Claudia Herrera

Eric Dumonteil

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Chagas disease is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and about 230,000 persons are estimated to be infected in Ecuador. However, limited studies have been performed in the Amazon region, on the eastern side of the country. We evaluated here the seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in 12 rural villages of the Loreto canton, Orellana Province in schoolchildren aged 5-15 years and in pregnant women. A total of 1,649 blood samples were tested for Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect hemaglutination, and discordant samples were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay. We detected a seroprevalence of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies of 1.3% in schoolchildren aged 5-15 years, indicating the persistence of a constant and active vectorial transmission in the Loreto County and confirming the need of the implementation of nonconventional vector control. We also observed a seroprevalence of 3.8% in pregnant women, indicating a clear risk of congenital transmission. Further studies should help define this risk more precisely and implement current international guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and care of these cases.

Citing Articles

Predictor Variables in the Spread of Chagas Disease in Rural Areas.

de Sousa Leite L, de Rezende Feres V, Scalize P Pathogens. 2024; 13(5).

PMID: 38787245 PMC: 11124446. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13050394.

Chagas disease control-surveillance in the Americas: the multinational initiatives and the practical impossibility of interrupting vector-borne Trypanosoma cruzi transmission.

Rojas de Arias A, Monroy C, Guhl F, Sosa-Estani S, Santos W, Abad-Franch F Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2022; 117:e210130.

PMID: 35830010 PMC: 9261920. DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760210130.

Evaluation of Selective Deltamethrin Application with Household and Community Awareness for the Control of Chagas Disease in Southern Ecuador.

Grijalva M, Moncayo A, Yumiseva C, Ocana-Mayorga S, Baus E, Villacis A J Med Entomol. 2022; 59(4):1421-1433.

PMID: 35604412 PMC: 9278838. DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac050.

Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in pregnant women in Midwest Brazil: an evaluation of congenital transmission.

Nobre T, Fonseca S, Medeiros R, Hecht M, Hagstrom L, Fernandes M Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2021; 63:e8.

PMID: 33533811 PMC: 7845938. DOI: 10.1590/S1678-9946202163008.

Trypanosoma cruzi infection in puerperal women and their neonates at Barcelona, Anzoategui State, Venezuela.

Zabala N, Berrizbeitia M, Jorquera A, Rodriguez J, Romero L Biomedica. 2019; 39(4):769-784.

PMID: 31860187 PMC: 7363338. DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.4606.

References

Lee B, Bacon K, Bottazzi M, Hotez P . Global economic burden of Chagas disease: a computational simulation model. Lancet Infect Dis. 2013; 13(4):342-8. PMC: 3763184. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(13)70002-1. View

Waleckx E, Camara-Mejia J, Ramirez-Sierra M, Cruz-Chan V, Rosado-Vallado M, Vazquez-Narvaez S . An innovative ecohealth intervention for Chagas disease vector control in Yucatan, Mexico. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2015; 109(2):143-9. PMC: 4299525. DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/tru200. View

Hotez P, Dumonteil E, Woc-Colburn L, Serpa J, Bezek S, Edwards M . Chagas disease: "the new HIV/AIDS of the Americas". PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012; 6(5):e1498. PMC: 3362306. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001498. View

Schmunis G, Yadon Z . Chagas disease: a Latin American health problem becoming a world health problem. Acta Trop. 2009; 115(1-2):14-21. DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2009.11.003. View

Pacheco-Tucuch F, Ramirez-Sierra M, Gourbiere S, Dumonteil E . Public street lights increase house infestation by the Chagas disease vector Triatoma dimidiata. PLoS One. 2012; 7(4):e36207. PMC: 3338588. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036207. View

Carlier Y, Torrico F, Sosa-Estani S, Russomando G, Luquetti A, Freilij H . Congenital Chagas disease: recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and control of newborns, siblings and pregnant women. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011; 5(10):e1250. PMC: 3201907. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001250. View

Gamboa-Leon R, Ramirez-Gonzalez C, Pacheco-Tucuch F, OShea M, Rosecrans K, Pippitt J . Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi among mothers and children in rural Mayan communities and associated reproductive outcomes. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014; 91(2):348-53. PMC: 4125261. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0527. View

Grijalva M, Escalante L, Paredes R, Costales J, Padilla A, Rowland E . Seroprevalence and risk factors for Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the Amazon region of Ecuador. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2003; 69(4):380-5. View

Guevara A, Atherton R, Wauters M, Vicuna Y, Nelson M, Prado J . Seroepidemiological study of chagas disease in the southern Amazon region of ecuador. Trop Med Health. 2013; 41(1):21-5. PMC: 3601199. DOI: 10.2149/tmh.2012-31. View

10.

Aguilar V H, Abad-Franch F, Racines V J, Paucar C A . Epidemiology of Chagas disease in Ecuador. A brief review. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2000; 94 Suppl 1:387-93. DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02761999000700076. View

11.

Rassi Jr A, Rassi A, Marin-Neto J . Chagas disease. Lancet. 2010; 375(9723):1388-402. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60061-X. View

12.

Amunarriz M, Quito S, Tandazo V, Lopez M . [Seroprevalence of Chagas disease in Aguarico canton in the Ecuadorian Amazon]. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2010; 28(1):25-9. DOI: 10.1590/s1020-49892010000700004. View

13.

Hotez P, Bottazzi M, Franco-Paredes C, Ault S, Periago M . The neglected tropical diseases of Latin America and the Caribbean: a review of disease burden and distribution and a roadmap for control and elimination. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2008; 2(9):e300. PMC: 2553488. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000300. View

14.

Barbu C, Dumonteil E, Gourbiere S . Optimization of control strategies for non-domiciliated Triatoma dimidiata, Chagas disease vector in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2009; 3(4):e416. PMC: 2664331. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000416. View

15.

Aguilar H, Abad-Franch F, Dias J, Junqueira A, Coura J . Chagas disease in the Amazon region. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2007; 102 Suppl 1:47-56. DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762007005000098. View

16.

Castro M, Barrett T, Santos W, Abad-Franch F, Rafael J . Attraction of Chagas disease vectors (Triatominae) to artificial light sources in the canopy of primary Amazon rainforest. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2011; 105(8):1061-4. DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762010000800019. View

17.

Buekens P, Almendares O, Carlier Y, Dumonteil E, Eberhard M, Gamboa-Leon R . Mother-to-child transmission of Chagas' disease in North America: why don't we do more?. Matern Child Health J. 2007; 12(3):283-6. DOI: 10.1007/s10995-007-0246-8. View

18.

Guevara A, Moreira J, Criollo H, Vivero S, Racines M, Cevallos V . First description of Trypanosoma cruzi human infection in Esmeraldas province, Ecuador. Parasit Vectors. 2014; 7:358. PMC: 4131061. DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-358. View

19.

Abad-Franch F, Paucar A, Carpio C, Cuba C, Aguilar H, Miles M . Biogeography of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Ecuador: implications for the design of control strategies. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2001; 96(5):611-20. DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762001000500004. View

20.

Grijalva M, Suarez-Davalos V, Villacis A, Ocana-Mayorga S, Dangles O . Ecological factors related to the widespread distribution of sylvatic Rhodnius ecuadoriensis populations in southern Ecuador. Parasit Vectors. 2012; 5:17. PMC: 3282634. DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-17. View