Seroprevalence of human Trypanosoma cruzi infection in diferent geografic zones of Chiapas, Mexico

• Main Authors: Miguel Angel Mazariego-Arana, Victor M. Monteón, Martha Alicia Ballinas-Verdugo, Nidia Hernández-Becerril, Ricardo Alejandre-Aguilar, Pedro A. Reyes
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2001
• Subjects: Chagas' disease; Trypanosoma cruzi; Seroprevalence; Seroepidemiologic survey; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/3ae2dfaafce24c579f4f8e17f97ad911

A serologic survey was carried out in four different geographic zones of Chiapas, Mexico. A total of 1,333 samples were collected from residents of thirteen communities located on the Coast, Central Mountain, Lacandon Forest and a zone called Mesochiapas. One hundred and fifty one seropositive individuals (11.3%) were identified. Human Trypanosoma cruzi infection was influenced by geography. In the Lacandon Forest and Central Mountains there was a higher seroprevalence 32.1 and 13.8% respectively, than on the coast (1.2%). In Mesochiapas there were no seropositive individuals among the 137 persons tested. An active transmission is probably continuing because seropositive cases (13.8%) were detected in children under 10 years of age. The vector recognized on the Coast was Triatoma dimidiata while in the Lacandon Forest it was Rhodnius prolixus.