Seroepidemiology of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the semiarid rural zone of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 346 - 352
• Main Authors: Brito, Carlos Ramon do Nascimento, Sampaio, George Harisson Felinto, Câmara, Antonia Cláudia Jácome da, Nunes, Daniela Ferreira, Azevedo, Paulo Roberto Medeiros de, Chiari, Egler, Galvão, Lúcia Maria da Cunha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 01-06-2012; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical - SBMT; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Brazil - epidemiology; Chagas Disease - diagnosis; Chagas Disease - epidemiology; Child; Doença de Chagas; Educational Status; Epidemiology; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Insect Vectors; Male; Middle Aged; Parasitic diseases; Rural Population; Rural populations; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Soroprevalência; Triatominae; Tropical diseases; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi - immunology; Variáveis epidemiológicas; Young Adult; Brazil; Epidemiological variables; Soroprevalência; Chagas disease; Variáveis epidemiológicas; Doença de Chagas; Trypanosoma cruzi; Seroprevalence
• ISSN: 0037-8682; 1678-9849; 1678-9849; 0037-8682
• DOI: 10.1590/S0037-86822012000300013

A seroepidemiological survey was carried out to evaluate Trypanosoma cruzi infection in an endemic area of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, involving rural residents.
Sixteen municipalities were randomly selected, 15 from the west mesoregion and one from the central, with an estimated population of 83,852 individuals. A total of 1,950 blood samples were collected in the west mesoregion and 390 in Caicó. Anti-T. cruzi antibodies were detected using the Chagatest® ELISA HAI-hemagglutination kits and indirect immunofluorescence. As sera presented indeterminate results, TESAcruzi® western blot was performed to confirm reactivity.
An estimated seroprevalence of 6.5% was determined for the west mesoregion and 3.3% for Caicó. Seropositivity rises progressively with the age of individuals, up to 40 years in Caicó and up to 50 years in the west mesoregion. Only educational level and knowledge regarding the triatomine were associated with seropositivity. No seroreactive individuals under 18 years of age were identified.
Infection by T. cruzi remains high and is concentrated in municipalities in the central western area of the west mesoregion; however, evidence suggests a decline in vector transmission in this mesoregion and in Caicó. Epidemiological variables appear not to influence seropositivity, with the exception of education and knowledge concerning the triatomine, among seroreactive individuals from the west mesoregion.