Prevalence of the Transmission Type of Chagas Disease in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, whose transmission involves triatomine insects. However, in the Brazilian Amazon there is a predominance of oral transmission through the ingestion of food contaminated with Trypanosoma cruzi. Brazil is one of the largest endemic centers of Chagas Disease in Latin America, and this disease is associated with human actions. An ecological, crosssectional and retrospective study was designed. The number of diagnosed cases of Chagas Disease in the states of the Brazilian Amazon from 2009 to 2019 were analyzed. The North Region had 2,832 cases of CD in the period in question, corresponding to 94.3% of the total cases in the country. Pará was the state with the highest number of cases (2,251), followed by Amapá (161) and Amazonas (138). Oral transmission was the main means of transmission (76.2%), followed by vectorial (8.43%) and vertical (0.39%). In this scenario, the consumption of açaí was the factor associated with the highest number of cases in the region, since the pulp of this food can be contaminated by waste from reservoir animals or vectors. Thus, the handling of açaí must be carried out properly to prevent this public health problem. Still, it is necessary to carry out further studies in the affected regions, evaluating such preventive measures.