Chagas disease in Latin American migrants: a Spanish challenge
| Autor: | Ana Pérez-Ayala, José A. Pérez-Molina, J. Peris-García, Rogelio López-Vélez, Miriam Navarro, Francesca F. Norman, Begoña Monge-Maillo, M. Flores, Carmen Cañavate, Marta Díaz-Menéndez |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2011 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Microbiology (medical) Chagas disease Pediatrics medicine.medical_specialty Trypanosoma cruzi Antiprotozoal Agents Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Polymerase Chain Reaction Serology Electrocardiography Pregnancy immigrants Spain Epidemiology Humans Mass Screening Medicine Prospective Studies Organ donation Fluorescent Antibody Technique Indirect Mass screening Barium enema Transients and Migrants business.industry General Medicine medicine.disease Surgery Latin America Infectious Diseases Echocardiography Nitroimidazoles Spain Benznidazole Female business Trypanosomiasis medicine.drug |
| Zdroj: | Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 17:1108-1113 |
| ISSN: | 1198-743X |
| Popis: | Chagas’ disease affects millions in Latin America and is the leading cause of cardiomyopathy and death due to cardiovascular disease in patients aged 30–50 years. As a consequence of immigration it has settled in several European countries, where besides imported cases, autochthonous infections arise through vertical transmission and blood/organ donation. All Latin American immigrants who attended our Unit were screened for T. cruzi infection (ELISA and IFAT ± PCR). An ECG and echocardiogram were requested for all positive patients, and oesophageal manometry, barium swallow and barium enema were requested according to patient symptoms. All patients under 50 years without severe cardiac involvement and who had not received correct treatment previously were treated with benznidazole 5 mg/kg/day for 60 days. Patients were followed-up with serology and PCR 1 month after treatment ended and every 6 months thereafter. A total of 1146 Latin Americans were screened for T. cruzi (357 positive serology results). The typical patient profile was a Bolivian female, of rural origin, in her fourth decade of life, without evidence of visceral involvement. Treatment tolerance was poor, with 29.7% discontinuing treatment due to adverse reactions. Among those with adverse reactions (52%), the most frequent were cutaneous hypersensitivity (68.7%), gastrointestinal upset (20%) and nervous system disturbances (16.2%). T. cruzi infection is no longer limited to Latin America. Poor treatment tolerance can limit current treatment options. More epidemiological data are necessary to estimate the magnitude of a problem of great relevance for public health and health resource planning. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|