This review deals with transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi by
the most important domestic vectors, blood transfusion and oral intake. Among the
vectors, Triatoma infestans, Panstrongylus
megistus, Rhodnius prolixus, Triatoma
dimidiata, Triatoma brasiliensis, Triatoma
pseudomaculata, Triatoma sordida, Triatoma
maculata, Panstrongylus geniculatus, Rhodnius
ecuadoriensis and Rhodnius pallescens can be highlighted.
Transmission of Chagas infection, which has been brought under control in some
countries in South and Central America, remains a great challenge, particularly
considering that many endemic countries do not have control over blood donors.
Even more concerning is the case of non-endemic countries that receive thousands
of migrants from endemic areas that carry Chagas disease, such as the United
States of America, in North America, Spain, in Europe, Japan, in Asia, and
Australia, in Oceania. In the Brazilian Amazon Region, since Shaw et al. (1969)
described the first acute cases of the disease caused by oral transmission,
hundreds of acute cases of the disease due to oral transmission have been
described in that region, which is today considered to be endemic for oral
transmission. Several other outbreaks of acute Chagas disease by oral transmission
have been described in different states of Brazil and in other South American
countries.