Thomas Hopkins1, Raquel Gonçalves2, Janet Mamani3, Orin Courtenay4, Caryn Bern5. 1. Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. Electronic address: t.hopkins@warwick.ac.uk. 2. School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. Electronic address: r.goncalves@warwick.ac.uk. 3. Ministerio de Salud Bolivia, Santa Cruz Department, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Electronic address: janetmmf@hotmail.com. 4. School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. Electronic address: orin.courtenay@warwick.ac.uk. 5. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: caryn.bern2@ucsf.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Screening for Trypanosoma cruzi infection was performed amongst children in a rural community in the Bolivian Chaco, an area known for high prevalence. The force of infection (FOI) was estimated. METHODS: A total of 423 children attending the local school were screened using the Chagas Detect Plus (CDP) rapid test (InBios International, Inc.). CDP-positive specimens were further tested by indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA) and Wiener Recombinante v3.0 ELISA. A catalytic model was used to estimate FOI. RESULTS: Confirmed seroprevalence was 0.22, rising steeply with age. The mean age of seropositive individuals was 13 years. The calculated specificity of the rapid test was 91.9%. The annual incidence estimated from the FOI was 0.021. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates persistent transmission and continuing high levels of T. cruzi infection in the Bolivian Chaco, and highlights the practicality of school-based screening.
BACKGROUND: Screening for Trypanosoma cruzi infection was performed amongst children in a rural community in the Bolivian Chaco, an area known for high prevalence. The force of infection (FOI) was estimated. METHODS: A total of 423 children attending the local school were screened using the Chagas Detect Plus (CDP) rapid test (InBios International, Inc.). CDP-positive specimens were further tested by indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA) and Wiener Recombinante v3.0 ELISA. A catalytic model was used to estimate FOI. RESULTS: Confirmed seroprevalence was 0.22, rising steeply with age. The mean age of seropositive individuals was 13 years. The calculated specificity of the rapid test was 91.9%. The annual incidence estimated from the FOI was 0.021. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates persistent transmission and continuing high levels of T. cruzi infection in the Bolivian Chaco, and highlights the practicality of school-based screening.
Authors: Niamh Murphy; M Victoria Cardinal; Tapan Bhattacharyya; Gustavo F Enriquez; Natalia P Macchiaverna; Alejandra Alvedro; Héctor Freilij; Pablo Martinez de Salazar; Israel Molina; Pascal Mertens; Quentin Gilleman; Ricardo E Gürtler; Michael A Miles Journal: Parasit Vectors Date: 2021-10-20 Impact factor: 3.876
Authors: Heino Stass; Ethel Feleder; Facundo Garcia-Bournissen; Johannes Nagelschmitz; Boris Weimann; Gustavo Yerino; Jaime Altcheh Journal: Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev Date: 2020-10-08