Seroprevalence of Chagas disease in schoolchildren from two municipalities of Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil; six years following the onset of epidemiological surveillance.
Six years after the beginning of the epidemiological surveillance of Chagas disease in Berilo and José Gonçalves de Minas, Jequitinhonha Valley, MG, Brazil, a serological inquiry was performed to observe whether the transmission of this endemy was occurring in this area. A randomized sample of 1,412 children seven to 14 years old, was screened. Six asymptomatic children were found to be positive, leading to 0.4% of prevalence. Hemoculture confirmed infection in five out of the six positive cases. Additional epidemiological investigation revealed important antecedents, such as disease reports in relatives and predisposing ecological and housing conditions. Our results demonstrated similar seroprevalence (0.4%) in schoolchildren, ranging from seven to 14 years old, and that were observed six years ago (0.2%) for children 0-9 year-old. Thus, considering the constant presence of Panstrogylus megistus in the peridomicile these findings emphasize the need of continuous improved epidemiological surveillance of Chagas disease in this region.
Borges
Jaila Dias
JD
Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, UFOP, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
Assis
Girley Francisco Machado de
GF
Gomes
Lizziani Vasconcelos
LV
Dias
João Carlos Pinto
JC
Pinto
Ildikô Delkim Miranda
ID
Martins-Filho
Olindo Assis
OA
Torres
Rosália Morais
RM
Viñas
Pedro Albajar
PA
Bahia
Maria Terezinha
MT
Machado-Coelho
George Luiz Lins
GL
Lana
Marta de
Md
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan