title: New focus of active transmission of Chagas disease in indigenous populations in the Peruvian Amazon basin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several cases of acute Chagas disease (ACD) have been reported in the Peruvian Amazon basin.
  
  
  METHODS
  The objective was to describe and investigate 6 ACD cases in children from indigenous Amazon communities in the province of Datem del Marañón in Loreto department (2006-2010).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 3.6 years. All patients had fever, 4/6 hepatomegaly, 2/6 splenomegaly, and 5/6 had trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi on thick smears. The fatality rate was 33.3%. Rhodnius pictipes and Rhodnius robustus adults were found inside the homes and in the peri-domiciles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All cases reported were isolated cases. We report a new focus of ACD in indigenous populations.
authors.affiliation: Grupo Temático de Enfermedades Metaxénicas, Dirección General de Epidemiología, Ministerio de Salud, Lima, Perú. rcabrerach@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rufino
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Yadira
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Valderrama
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cabanillas
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Del Aguila
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramón Meza
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D012239:Rhodnius / Q000469:parasitology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000302:isolation & purification*