Pediatric Chagas Disease in Rural Areas of Santa Fe Province

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Chagas disease remains a major public health problem in the Gran Chaco region. The north of Santa Fe province, being the south of this region, is under entomological surveillance. Being a chronic infection, the seroprevalence of this endemic disease in children serves as a marker of the current status. OBJECTIVES: To determine the seroprevalence of Chagas disease in the pediatric population of Chaco region in Santa Fe. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional seroprevalence study on Chagas infection was conducted for children aged 5-14 years old. It considered an area of 38 000 km2 belonging to rural districts of 9 de Julio and Vera departments in Santa Fe province, between November 2010 and April 2013. RESULTS: The sampling included 71.5% of the children in the region (3765/5266). There was a prevalence of 1.8% (67/3765), ranged from 5.5% to 0% among districts. For 5-9 years, it was 1.2% (21/1769); for 10-14 years, 2.3% (46/1996). CONCLUSIONS: The seroprevalence was lower than in other studies performed in the Gran Chaco. A large heterogeneity is observed in the prevalence among districts, even among neighboring districts. The distribution does not seem to be due to climatic factors, but to social factors and the influence of human activity in each location.