title: Risk factors associated with Chagas disease in pregnant women in Santander, a highly endemic Colombian area.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Chagas disease in pregnant women in an endemic area of Santander, Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study included 23 municipalities of Santander, Colombia. Serological IFAT and ELISA tests were undertaken to detect IgG anti- Trypanosoma cruzi. A questionnaire was conducted for assessing the risk factors of each participant. Newborns were evaluated at birth and followed up to 1 year of age to determine congenital infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An overall prevalence of 3.2% (95% CI 2.4-4.2) among 1518 pregnant women was detected. Prevalences by provinces were as follows: Guanentina: 6.0% (95% CI 4.1-8.5), García Rovira: 2.9% (95% CI: 1.5-4.8) and Comunera: 0.4% (0.4-2.3). The main risk factors identified were age >32 years old (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1-3.9); currently having a thatched roof (OR: 11.8; CI95% 2.2-63.2) and a thatched roof during childhood (OR: 3.0; 95% CI: 1.4-6.6); having below primary school education level (OR: 4.6; 95% CI: 2.2-9.5); and a history of a close contact with the vector (triatomine bugs) at least once during their lifetime (OR: 6.9; 95% CI: 3.7-12.9). No congenital cases were detected by parasitological or serological techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of Chagas disease in pregnant women is a potential source of infection in this Colombian endemic area. The main risk factors associated with seropositivity were related to conditions favouring the contact with the vector. The results show that it is necessary to continue an active surveillance in order to offer diagnosis and treatment to mothers and their newborns in addition to screening to pregnant women from endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
authors.forename: Yeny Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Castellanos-Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.|RED CHAGAS, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Zulma M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Cucunubá
authors.affiliation: Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
authors.forename: Luis C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Orozco
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.|RED CHAGAS, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Valencia-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Cielo M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: León
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Astrid C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Florez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Lyda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Depto. de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pavía
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Marleny
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montilla
authors.affiliation: Secretaría de Salud de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.
authors.forename: Luz Marina
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Uribe
authors.affiliation: Secretaría de Salud de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Secretaría de Salud de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ardila
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Parasitología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Rubén Santiago
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Depto. de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
authors.forename: Concepción J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Puerta
keywords: 
  Trypanosoma cruzi
  ; Chagas congénito; Chagas disease; Trypanosoma cruzi; congenital Chagas disease; diagnostic sérologique; diagnóstico serológico; embarazo; enfermedad de Chagas; facteurs de risque; factores de riesgo; grossesse; maladie de Chagas; maladie de Chagas congénitale; pregnancy; risk factors; serological diagnosis