title: [Chagas' disease in the State of Maranhão, Brazil: record of acute cases from 1994 to 2008].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chagas' disease is not considered an endemic disease in the State of Maranhão. However, entomological surveys showed high natural vector infection indices and acute cases have been identified in the last few decades. This study aimed to analyze the social, demographic and environmental conditions involved in transmission.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study describes acute Chagas' disease identified from 1994 to 2008. Information regarding the cases was obtained from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (Sinan), National Health Foundation (Funasa) database and medical records. Entomological surveys were conducted from 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data analysis identified 32 cases from 17 municipal districts, with 84.4% of patients from rural areas. The disease was more frequent in men (67%). The most frequent occupation was student, 38.9% of cases, followed by farmer and hunter, 27.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that transmission was vectorial and occurred in the wild or peridomicile.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós Graduação em Saúde e Ambiente, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, MA.
authors.forename: Flávia Stella Rego Furtado
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Cutrim
authors.forename: Irandir Augusto
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Eloísa da Graça do Rosário
authors.initials: Eda G
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Antonio Rafael da
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012239:Rhodnius; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult