Epidemiology of and impact of insecticide spraying on Chagas disease in communities in the Bolivian Chaco.
BACKGROUND
Chagas disease control campaigns relying upon residual insecticide spraying have been successful in many Southern American countries. However, in some areas, rapid reinfestation and recrudescence of transmission have occurred.


RESULTS
We conducted a cross-sectional survey in the Bolivian Chaco to evaluate prevalence of and risk factors for T. cruzi infection 11 years after two rounds of blanket insecticide application. We used a cubic B-spline model to estimate change in force of infection over time based on age-specific seroprevalence data. Overall T. cruzi seroprevalence was 51.7%. The prevalence was 19.8% among children 2-15, 72.7% among those 15-30 and 97.1% among participants older than 30 years. Based on the model, the estimated annual force of infection was 4.3% over the two years before the first blanket spray in 2000 and fell to 0.4% for 2001-2002. The estimated annual force of infection for 2004-2005, the 2 year period following the second blanket spray, was 4.6%. However, the 95% bootstrap confidence intervals overlap for all of these estimates. In a multivariable model, only sleeping in a structure with cracks in the walls (aOR = 2.35; 95% CI = 1.15-4.78), age and village of residence were associated with infection.


CONCLUSIONS
As in other areas in the Chaco, we found an extremely high prevalence of Chagas disease. Despite evidence that blanket insecticide application in 2000 may have decreased the force of infection, active transmission is ongoing. Continued spraying vigilance, infestation surveillance, and systematic household improvements are necessary to disrupt and sustain interruption of infection transmission.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Aaron M
AM
Samuels
Eva H
EH
Clark
Gerson
G
Galdos-Cardenas
Ryan E
RE
Wiegand
Lisbeth
L
Ferrufino
Silvio
S
Menacho
Jose
J
Gil
Jennifer
J
Spicer
Julia
J
Budde
Michael Z
MZ
Levy
Ricardo W
RW
Bozo
Robert H
RH
Gilman
Caryn
C
Bern
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001838:Bolivia; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
D007306:Insecticides