Current situation and perspectives regarding human Chagas disease in midwestern of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Recognising the importance of Chagas disease in Brazil, Bambuí set up epidemiological surveillance for Chagas disease in 1974 and was the first municipality to do so. To ascertain the current epidemiology of Chagas disease in this municipality, 1.782 blood samples from the general population were analysed; 7.7% of samples were found to be seropositive for Chagas disease. A strong positive correlation between increasing age and Chagas disease was evident in both genders, with the highest prevalence in individuals aged over 60 years. Clinically, the cardiodigestive form of Chagas disease was the most common in these samples. These data confirm the interruption of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission, in parallel with a still important residual morbidity of Chagas disease in the county, thus supporting political decisions that will prioritise epidemiological surveillance and medical treatment of Chagas disease in the coming years.
Laboratório de Triatomíneos e Epidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou-Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Christiane Santos
CS
Matos
Laboratório de Triatomíneos e Epidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou-Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
José Eloy dos
JE
Santos Júnior
Laboratório de Parasitologia, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Fernanda Alvarenga Cardoso
FA
Medeiros
Laboratório de Parasitologia, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Eliana
E
Furtado
Laboratório de Triatomíneos e Epidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou-Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
João Carlos Pinto
JC
Dias
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies