title: PREVALENCE OF CHAGAS DISEASE AMONG BLOOD DONOR CANDIDATES IN TRIANGULO MINEIRO, MINAS GERAIS STATE, BRAZIL.
abstract: Despite public health campaigns and epidemiological surveillance activities, Chagas disease remains a major health problem in Latin America. According to data from the World Health Organization, there are approximately 7-8 million people infected with Trypanosoma cruzi worldwide, a large percentage of which in Latin America. This study aims to examine the serological profile of blood donors in blood banks of Hemominas hematology center, in the town of Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The study sample consisted of 53,941 blood donors, which were grouped according to gender and age. Sample collections were performed from January 1991 to December 2011, and 277 donors (0.5%) were considered serologically ineligible due to Chagas disease. Analysis of data showed no significant difference between genders. As for age, the highest proportion of ineligible donors was from 40 to 49 years (30%), and there was a positive correlation between increasing age and the percentage of patients seropositive for Chagas disease. Therefore, adopting strategies that allow the safe identification of donors with positive serology for Chagas disease is essential to reduce or eliminate indeterminate serological results.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Integradas do Pontal, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Ituiutaba, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Patrícia da Silva
authors.initials: Pda S
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Integradas do Pontal, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Ituiutaba, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Eliezer Lucas Pires
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Integradas do Pontal, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Ituiutaba, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Gabriela Lícia Santos
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Integradas do Pontal, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Ituiutaba, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rezende-Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult