Congenital infection with Trypanosoma cruzi: from mechanisms of transmission to strategies for diagnosis and control

Abstract

and, ii) parasites are identified at birth, or, iii) parasites or specific antibodies not from maternal origin are detected later after birth, providing that previous blood transfusion and vectorial contamination can be discarded (eg. baby living outside the geographical areas of vectorial transmission). A presumptive diagnosis can be based on epidemiologic and clinical criteria (see § 1.4), but it can only be confirmed by demonstrating T. cruzi and/ or the presence of specific antibodies that are not transferred from the mother (see § 2).

2 nd Brazilian Consensus on Chagas Disease, 2015

“…The evidence of T. cruzi infection does not justify the abdominal delivery indication (Cesarean), (115) since the congenital T. cruzi infection may result in delayed uterine growth, detected in ultrasound, and premature delivery (102) (115) (116) (123) . The importance of carrying out all the recommended evaluations during prenatal care, including anti-HIV testing is emphasized.…”

Congenital Trypanosoma cruzi Infection. Efficacy of Its Monitoring in an Urban Reference Health Center in a Non-Endemic Area of Argentina

“…2 Recently, two meetings organized in Bolivia and Uruguay have emphasized the relevance of congenital CHD in the panorama of the disease and the need to control it in endemic countries. 3,4 However, in countries such as Spain, Switzerland, and the United States, congenital T. cruzi infection at present constitutes a public health issue caused by people migration from the endemic CHD areas. [5][6][7][8][9] Between 1993 and 2000, the Argentinean Program for Pregnant Women Control studied 245,583 women from different endemic provinces, and the serological prevalence was estimated to be 11.8% during the period 1994-1995; 9.1% in 1996-1997, and 6.8% in 2000, whereas the estimated incidence of CT was 1.9% in the 1970s (range 0.1-3.5) and 2.5% (range 0.7-10.4) in the 1980s (Blanco S and others, Programa Nacional de Chagas.…”

Epidemiology of Chagas disease in non endemic countries: the role of international migration

“…In fact, the only common mode of transmission of T. cruzi to which not enough attention has been paid in most endemic countries is the transplacental route. Although infection rates of congenital infection vary widely, it is accepted in the Southern Cone countries of South America that 1 to 12% of newborns from infected mothers could be infected (Carlier & Torrico 2003).…”