Human infection with Trypanosoma cruzi in Nasca, Peru: A seroepidemiological survey (1)


Autoria(s): Instituto de Medicina Tropical
Data(s)

01/03/1997

Resumo

We estimated the proportion of seropositivity for infection with Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas’ disease) in a sample of the rural population of the Province of Nasca, Department of Ica, southwestern Peru. Although Triatoma infestans, the only vector species identified in the Department of Ica, is often found in domestic environments, data of the extent of human infection with T. cruzi are scant. This study comprised 446 houses, known to be infested with triatomines, distributed in 19 rural localities. While visiting those houses we collected filter paper bloodspots from 864 occupants (of both sexes, aged one year or over). By means of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), we detected anti-T. cruzi IgG antibodies in samples from 178 individuals (20.6%). Seropositivity was significantly more frequent in females (23.8%) than in males (17.5%). Among the 410 individuals in the 1- to 10-year-old age group (47.5% of the population sample), 85 (20.7%) were found seropositive, which is indicative of an early acquisition of the infection. Within this group no significant differences in seropositivity were associated with sex

Formato

text/html

Identificador

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0036-46651997000200008

Idioma(s)

en

Publicador

Instituto de Medicina Tropical

Fonte

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo v.39 n.2 1997

Palavras-Chave #Chagas’ disease #Seroepidemiology #Nasca #Peru
Tipo

journal article