Community-based screening of Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in a non-endemic country : an observational study

© 2021. The Author(s)..

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease is a parasitic disease endemic to Latin America, but it has become a disease of global concern due to migration flows. Asymptomatic carriers may host the parasite for years, without knowing they are infected. The aim of this study is to assess prevalence of Chagas disease and evaluate the participants' level of knowledge between Latin American migrants attending a community-based screening campaign.

METHODS: Three community-based campaigns were performed in Alicante (Spain) in 2016, 2017 and 2018, including educational chats and blood tests for Trypanosoma cruzi serology. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing knowledge about the mechanisms of transmission, disease presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. People seropositive for T. cruzi underwent diagnostic confirmation by two different tests. Results were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression and expressed as adjusted odds ratios (aORs), adjusting for age, sex, and time in Spain.

RESULTS: A total of 596 participants were included in the study; 17% were aged under 18 years. Prevalence in adults was 11% [54/496; 95% confidence interval (CI): 8.3-14.5%] versus 0% among children. All but one case were in Bolivians. Diagnosis was independently associated with having been born in Bolivia (aOR: 102, 95% CI: 13-781) and a primary school-level education (aOR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.14-5.06). Of 54 people diagnosed with Chagas disease (most of whom were asymptomatic), 42 (77.7%) returned to the clinic at least once, and 24 (44.4%) received treatment. Multivariable analysis showed that coming from Argentina (aOR: 13, 95% CI: 1.61-1188) or Bolivia (aOR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.19-3.39) and having received information about Chagas disease in Spain (aOR: 4.63, 95% CI: 2.54-8.97) were associated with a good level of knowledge on the disease. Having primary level studies (aOR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.34-0.98) and coming from Ecuador (aOR: 4.63, 95% CI: 2.52-847) were independently associated with a lower level of knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS: Community-based interventions are a good strategy for diagnosing neglected diseases such as Chagas disease in non-endemic countries and for identifying and treating infected, asymptomatic individuals.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:10

Enthalten in:

Infectious diseases of poverty - 10(2021), 1 vom: 15. Sept., Seite 117

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Ramos-Sesma, Violeta [VerfasserIn]
Navarro, Miriam [VerfasserIn]
Llenas-García, Jara [VerfasserIn]
Gil-Anguita, Concepción [VerfasserIn]
Torrus-Tendero, Diego [VerfasserIn]
Wikman-Jorgensen, Philip [VerfasserIn]
García-López, María [VerfasserIn]
Amador-Prous, Concepción [VerfasserIn]
Ventero-Martín, María-Paz [VerfasserIn]
Guevara-Hernández, Pedro [VerfasserIn]
Garijo-Saiz, Ana [VerfasserIn]
Sanchez-Sanchez, Ares [VerfasserIn]
Bernal-Alcaraz, Cristina [VerfasserIn]
Pujades-Tarraga, Ana-Isabel [VerfasserIn]
Muñoz-Perez, Roser [VerfasserIn]
Flores-Chávez, María [VerfasserIn]
Ramos-Rincón, José-Manuel [VerfasserIn]
#CorazonesSinChagas Platform [VerfasserIn]
García-López, María [Sonstige Person]
Bernal-Alcaraz, Cristina [Sonstige Person]
Guevara-Hernández, Pedro B [Sonstige Person]
Llenas-García, Jara [Sonstige Person]
Gregori-Colome, Joan [Sonstige Person]
Lucas-Dato, Ana [Sonstige Person]
Martínez-Birlanga, Esther [Sonstige Person]
García-Rodríguez, Estefanía [Sonstige Person]
Ramos-Rincón, José-Manuel [Sonstige Person]
Torrús-Tendero, Diego [Sonstige Person]
Ventero-Martín, M Paz [Sonstige Person]
Gimeno-Gascón, Adelin [Sonstige Person]
Sánchez-Sánchez, Ares [Sonstige Person]
Muñoz-Pérez, Roser [Sonstige Person]
Almoedo-Albero, Carmen [Sonstige Person]
Gil-Anguita, Concepción [Sonstige Person]
Prous, Concepción Amador [Sonstige Person]
Pujades-Tárraga, Ana-Isabel [Sonstige Person]
Santonja, Antonio [Sonstige Person]
Sánchez-Valera, María [Sonstige Person]
Sánchez-García, Rosa [Sonstige Person]
Navarro-Beltrá, Miriam [Sonstige Person]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Chagas disease
Community-based intervention
Early diagnosis
Journal Article
Knowledge
Migrant
Observational Study
Screening
Trypanosoma cruzi

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 30.09.2021

Date Revised 21.09.2023

published: Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1186/s40249-021-00897-2

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM330681524