Chagas disease among travelers visiting friends and relatives to endemic areas : a descriptive study
Salinas Cevallos, Catalina

Data: 2017
Descripció: 32 p.
Resum: Background: Chagas disease is regarded as a risk for travelers to continental Latin America. However this risk has not been quantified before. Objective: To determine the risk of T. cruzi infection among returning travelers visiting friends and relatives (VFRs) to endemic areas, to describe the demographic and travel characteristics, and to identify risk factors for acquiring T. cruzi infection. Design: prospective descriptive study. Methods: All available adults with laboratory proof of being free of Chagas disease before travel at University Hospital Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona, Spain from 2012 to 2015 were recruited for standardized questionnaire and measurement of T. cruzi antibodies in serum. Results: 60 participants were included in the study. All were immigrants from Central or South America living in Spain, who traveled to visit friends and relatives. 45/60 (75%) were female, the median age was 38. 5 years old. The median duration of travel was 43. 5 days (IQR 30-63. 5 days). 35/60 (58%) visited rural areas. Fresh fruit juices and sugar cane were consumed by 36/60 (60%) of participants. Housing construction material prone to Reduviid bug infestation (adobe, palm tree-thatching, wooden or cane walls) were only met by 2/60 (3. 3%). 59/60 (98%) of travelers VFR were negative for T. cruzi infection after travel to endemic areas, and one case 1/60 (2%) had discordant inconclusive serology. Limitations: The number of eligible patients was reduced by the amount of patients unreachable by telephone (313/633, 49. 3%), and many were unable to participate due to strict working shifts, which may have selected for more females in our study. Conclusions: Among 60 travelers VFR to endemic areas we found no cases of Chagas disease. Travelers were proven to be free of T. cruzi infection prior to travel. This study provides the basis for future studies that aim to evaluate the risk of acquiring Chagas disease during travel to endemic areas to provide evidence for improvement of clinical recommendations and public health screening efforts.
Drets: Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan aquestes es distribueixin sota la mateixa llicència que regula l'obra original i es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. Creative Commons
Llengua: Anglès
Titulació: Zoonosi i Una Sola Salut (One Health) [4315915]
Col·lecció: Facultat de Veterinària. Treballs de màster i postgrau. Màster Oficial - Zoonosi i Una Sola Salut (ONE HEALTH)
Document: Treball de fi de postgrau
Matèria: Vacunes



32 p, 846.5 KB

El registre apareix a les col·leccions:
Documents de recerca > Treballs de recerca i projectes de final de carrera

 Registre creat el 2018-01-31, darrera modificació el 2022-10-22



   Favorit i Compartir