Prevalence and risk factors for chagas disease in pregnant women in Casanare, Colombia

Zulma M. Cucunubá, Astrid C. Flórez, Ángela Cárdenas, Paula Pavía, Marleny Montilla, Rodrigo Aldana, Katherine Villamizar, Lyda C. Ríos, Rubén S. Nicholls, Concepción J. Puerta

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

Knowledge of the prevalence and risk factors associated with maternal infection is the first step to develop a surveillance system for congenital transmission of Chagas disease. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Casanare, a disease-endemic area in Colombia. A total of 982 patients were enrolled in the study. A global prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection of 4.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.8-5.3%) was found. Multivariate analysis showed that the most important risk-associated factors were age > 29 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.4, 95% CI = 0.9-12.4), rural residency (aOR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0-4.6), low education level (aOR = 10.2, 95% CI = 1.6-82.7), and previous knowledge of the vector (aOR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0-4.9). Relatives and siblings of infected mothers showed a prevalence of 9.3%. These findings may help physicians to investigate congenital cases, screen Chagas disease in siblings and relatives, and provide early treatment to prevent the chronic complications of Chagas disease.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)837-842
Number of pages6
JournalAmerican Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume87
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2012
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Prevalence and risk factors for chagas disease in pregnant women in Casanare, Colombia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this