Chagas Disease among the Latin American Adult Population Attending in a Primary Care Center in Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Background/AimsThe epidemiology of Chagas disease, until recently confined to areas of continental Latin America, has undergone considerable changes in recent decades due to migration to other parts of the world, including Spain. We studied the prevalence of Chagas disease in Latin American patients treated at a health center in Barcelona and evaluated its clinical phase. We make some recommendations for screening for the disease.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe performed an observational, cross-sectional prevalence study by means of an immunochromatographic test screening of all continental Latin American patients over the age of 14 years visiting the health centre from October 2007 to October 2009. The diagnosis was confirmed by serological methods: conventional in-house ELISA (cELISA), a commercial kit (rELISA) and ELISA using T cruzi lysate (Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics) (oELISA). Of 766 patients studied, 22 were diagnosed with T. cruzi infection, showing a prevalence of 2.87% (95% CI, 1.6–4.12%). Of the infected patients, 45.45% men and 54.55% women, 21 were from Bolivia, showing a prevalence in the Bolivian subgroup (n = 127) of 16.53% (95% CI, 9.6–23.39%).All the infected patients were in a chronic phase of Chagas disease: 81% with the indeterminate form, 9.5% with the cardiac form and 9.5% with the cardiodigestive form. All patients infected with T. cruzi had heard of Chagas disease in their country of origin, 82% knew someone affected, and 77% had a significant history of living in adobe houses in rural areas.ConclusionsWe found a high prevalence of T. cruzi infection in immigrants from Bolivia. Detection of T. cruzi–infected persons by screening programs in non-endemic countries would control non-vectorial transmission and would benefit the persons affected, public health and national health systems.

Endothelin-1 and its role in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases

“…Chagas disease is now being diagnosed with increasing frequency among immigrant populations due in part to the mandatory screening of potential blood donors as well as random screening of immigrants from endemic areas that are hospitalized for a variety of diseases. In Barcelona, Spain there is a prevalence of approximately 16% of Chagas disease among the Bolivian immigrant population [148]. There are significant clinical manifestations in the seropositive groups in Spain [149].…”

Serological Diagnosis of Chronic Chagas Disease: Is It Time for a Change?

“…Based on 2010 data, an estimated 5,742,167 people are infected in 21 Latin American countries (2). The epidemiology of Chagas disease has changed because of migratory trends, and it is now an emerging public health problem in the United States and Europe (3,4), notably in Spain, the European country with the largest number of immigrants from Latin America (3,5).…”

Quantitative Proteomic and Phosphoproteomic Analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi Amastigogenesis

“…The illness is endemic in Latin America, but an increasing number of cases are being reported in non-endemic regions, including the United States and Europe (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). The infection is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, a single-cell parasite that undergoes differentiation events throughout its life cycle to adapt to a variety of environments inside mammalian hosts and triatomine bug vectors.…”