Seroprevalencia de anticuerpos contra Trypanosoma cruzi y su asociación con factores de riesgo en menores de 18 años de Veracruz, México

Abstract

Active, vector-borne transmission of T. cruzi was confirmed in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, with an overall antibody seroprevalence rate of 0.19% among the population under 18 years of age. Seroprevalence rates among this segment of the population, which serves as a sentinel group, should be closely monitored to determine if more stringent methods of vector control and epidemiological surveillance are needed.

Identification of a Hyperendemic Area for Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Central Veracruz, Mexico

“…Seroprevalence rates of 1.3% and 1.8% in the general population and children (< 18 years of age), respectively, have been reported in the jurisdiction of Cordoba, although sample sizes were much smaller and geographic locations were not specified and may have been different. 4,8 Interestingly, no cases have been detected in children from the jurisdiction of Cosamaloapan, 4 and our data appear to confirm this observation because we did not detect cases in the municipality of Tierra Blanca in the jurisdiction of Cosamaloapan. However, we found a concentration of high seroprevalence rates in the jurisdiction of Cordoba, particularly in the municipality of Tezonapa, which had an average seropositivity of 28.9%.…”

“…Several species of triatomines have been reported in Veracruz, the most abundant being T . dimidiata , 4 and preliminary bug collections indicate that this species is the main vector in the region (Ramos-Ligonio A et al, unpublished data). House infestation rates of approximately 15% have been reported for the jurisdiction of Cordoba, with a colonization index > 70%, 4 which indicates the presence of a small proportion of heavily colonized houses.…”

“…7 Other studies of the distribution of infection in different sanitary jurisdictions of Veracruz indicated that T. cruzi infection may be absent from the jurisdictions of Coatzacoalcos, Orizaba, and Martinez de la Torre; the highest seroprevalences were observed in the northern jurisdictions of Tuxpan and Panuco (2.8% and 1.6%, respectively) and the central jurisdiction of Cordoba (1.3%). 8 Furthermore, detection of T. cruzi infection in children less than 18 years of age (1.8-5.2%) suggested the presence of active transmission of the parasite in these same jurisdictions, 4 and anecdotal triatomine collections in the jurisdiction of Cordoba led us to suspect a high endemicity of Chagas disease in this area. The objective of our study was to update and refine seroepidemiologic data in central Veracruz.…”

“…Several species of Triatomines have been observed in Veracruz, including some with a high vectorial capacity, such as Triatoma dimidiata or T. pallidepennis . 4 Also, the presence of T. cruzi infection has been documented in various human populations.…”

Risk Factors Associated with Triatomines and Its Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi in Rural Communities from the Southern Region of the State of Mexico, Mexico

“…23 Some of the risk factors associated with Chagas disease include living in geographic areas with warm and humid weather, poor hygiene, living conditions related to poverty, and the presence of animals living inside the houses. [24][25][26] Because the Chagas disease dynamics has not been fully characterized in this putative endemic area of the southern region of the State of Mexico, the aim of this study was to identify the main species of triatomines infesting the dwellings in this region, to determine the prevalence of triatomines infected with the T. cruzi, and to find the risk factors associated to the presence of kissing bugs within the dwellings.…”