title: Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in three rural communities in Guatemala.
abstract: A systematic, house-based serological survey for Trypanosoma cruzi seroreactivity was conducted in three contiguous communities in Olopa municipality, Chiquimula Department, Guatemala. Blood samples from a total of 292 individuals in 63 households were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The seropositive rate ranged from 0% to 20.8% for the three communities, with a mean of 15.1%. Log-linear models showed that seroprevalence was significantly related to age (P < 0.005) but not to sex. However, when the age group with the lowest prevalence (1-9 years) was excluded from the analysis, age was not a significant factor (P = 0.55). Data from a stratified sample collected at the same time were combined with those of the systematic sample to analyze the relationship between seropositivity and possible explanatory variables. Log-linear models, based on 586 individuals in 129 households from the two surveys, revealed a significant positive association between seropositivity and thatched roofs (P = 0.01).
authors.affiliation: Universidad del Valle, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Greer
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Nix
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cordón-Rosales
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: MacVean
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Powell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006166:Guatemala / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012424:Rural Population; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi