Epidemiology of Chagas Disease

Abstract

Chagas disease has been described more than 100 years ago and has existed or coexisted with man for millennia. In the last 30 years, control programs have had a significant impact on the primary transmission routes, achieving notable reductions in T. cruzi infection prevalence in vast regions of the continent and even ended the vector transmission by Triatoma infestans in Uruguay, Chile, and Brazil households. Current transmission of T. cruzi and the perspectives toward the future are analyzed, as well as the economic impact of the interventions to have a better understanding of the burden of the disease. We believe that the transmission of T. cruzi was initiated at the beginning by digestive contagion, and, after the application of all vector control measures, mother to child, transfusion, and transplant are the essential routes remaining. This new transmission scenario will force health structures to prepare themselves to face new challenges. In this way, they will be able to keep new infections, controlled through adequate surveillance systems to block and prevent household transmission.