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.
In 1943, the Center for the Study and Prophylaxis of Chagas Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, state of Minas Gerais (MG), was created in the municipality of Bambuí to carry out studies related to Chagas disease in the mid-western region of MG. Since that time, several investigations have been conducted to determine the natural habitat of triatomines, but Panstrongylus megistus colonies have never been found in this region. This paper records the first finding of a P. megistus sylvatic colony in 69 years of research. The characteristics of this ecotope and its implications for the epidemiology of Chagas disease are discussed
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