Prevalence of antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi in pregnant women in endemic areas of the department of Boyacá, Colombia

Objective: To determine the prevalence of antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi in pregnant women in endemic areas of Boyacá, Colombia, in 2012 and 2013. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study of 566 pregnant women from endemic municipalities of Boyacá. Samples were analyzed by means of serolog...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Suescún-Carrero, Sandra Helena, García-Artunduaga, Claudia, Valdivieso-Bohórquez, Silvia
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Universidad de Antioquia 2017-10-01
Series:Iatreia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://aprendeenlinea.udea.edu.co/revistas/index.php/iatreia/article/view/326641/20785570
Description
Summary:Objective: To determine the prevalence of antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi in pregnant women in endemic areas of Boyacá, Colombia, in 2012 and 2013. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study of 566 pregnant women from endemic municipalities of Boyacá. Samples were analyzed by means of serological tests for Chagas, namely: IgG ELISA, indirect immunofluorescence and indirect hemagglutination. Cases with positive results in two tests were considered as confirmed. Results: The overall prevalence of antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi was 2.5 % (14/566). Municipalities with the highest prevalence were Chitaraque (8.3 %), and Soatá (3.3 %). Average age of positive women was 32.6 years, and their gestational period, 18.1 weeks. We found a statistically significant association between age and the presence of antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi. Conclusion: Prevalence of antibodies against T. cruzi in pregnant women demonstrates the importance of the monitoring program for Chagas disease in pregnancy, as a method for congenital disease control.
ISSN:0121-0793
2011-7965