[Series of acute Chagas' disease cases attended at a tertiary-level clinic in Manaus, State of Amazonas, from 1980 to 2006].
BACKGROUND
Chagas disease is an emerging and neglected problem in the Brazilian Amazon region.


METHODS
This study describes a series of acute autochthonous cases of Chagas disease that were attended at the Tropical Medicine Foundation of Amazonas, Manaus, between 1980 and 2006.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine cases were recorded: 19 (65.5%) were male and 10 (34.5%) cases were female. Fifteen (51.7%) were isolated cases and 14 (48.3%) were from outbreaks. The commonest signs and symptoms were fever, fatigue, headache, myalgia, chills, pallor, dyspnea and edema of the face and lower limbs. No deaths were recorded.


CONCLUSIONS
The disease occurred frequently among young people. The parasitological methods showed high sensitivity.
Monteiro
Wuelton Marcelo
WM
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Fundação de Medicina Tropical do Amazonas, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, 69040-000 Manaus, AM. wueltonmm@ibest.com.br
Barbosa
Maria das Graças Vale
Md
Toledo
Max Jean de Ornelas
MJ
Fé
Flávio Augusto
FA
Fé
Nelson Ferreira
NF
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged