Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and serological status related to Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in Germany: A cross-sectional study in six German cities
BackgroundLittle is known about knowledge, attitudes and behaviors concerning Chagas disease (CD) among Latin American migrants in Germany to inform public health decision making.MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted between March 2014 and October 2019 among Latin America...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.1047281/full |
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| author | Margit Wirth Rosa Isela Gálvez Johannes Jochum Johannes Jochum Ricardo Strauss Kaja Kristensen Kaja Kristensen August Stich Miriam Stegemann Miriam Stegemann Philipp Stahl Karl Philipp Puchner Jörn Strasen Jörn Strasen Sandra Parisi Trixi Braasch Marion Bender Marion Bender Anna Hörning Monika Hanke Monika Hanke Stefan Störk Stefan Störk Thomas Jacobs Michael Pritsch Thomas Zoller Thomas Zoller |
| author_facet | Margit Wirth Rosa Isela Gálvez Johannes Jochum Johannes Jochum Ricardo Strauss Kaja Kristensen Kaja Kristensen August Stich Miriam Stegemann Miriam Stegemann Philipp Stahl Karl Philipp Puchner Jörn Strasen Jörn Strasen Sandra Parisi Trixi Braasch Marion Bender Marion Bender Anna Hörning Monika Hanke Monika Hanke Stefan Störk Stefan Störk Thomas Jacobs Michael Pritsch Thomas Zoller Thomas Zoller |
| author_sort | Margit Wirth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundLittle is known about knowledge, attitudes and behaviors concerning Chagas disease (CD) among Latin American migrants in Germany to inform public health decision making.MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted between March 2014 and October 2019 among Latin American migrants in six cities in Germany to obtain information on migration history, socioeconomic and insurance status, knowledge about CD, potential risk factors for Trypanosoma cruzi infection, and willingness to donate blood or organs.Results168 participants completed the questionnaire. The four countries with the highest proportion of participants contributing to the study population were Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Ecuador. Before migrating to Europe, the majority of the study population resided in an urban setting in houses made of stone or concrete, had higher academic education and was integrated into the German healthcare and healthcare insurance system. The majority of all study participants were also willing to donate blood and organs and a quarter of them had donated blood previously. However, many participants lacked basic knowledge about symptoms and modes of transmission of Chagas disease. One out of 56 serologic tests (1.8%) performed was positive. The seropositive female participant born in Argentina had a negative PCR test and no signs of cardiac or other organ involvement.ConclusionsThe study population does not reflect the population structure at risk for T. cruzi infection in endemic countries. Most participants had a low risk profile for infection with T. cruzi. Although the sample size was small and sampling was not representative of all persons at risk in Germany, the seroprevalence found was similar to studies previously conducted in Europe. As no systematic screening for T. cruzi in Latin American blood and organ donors as well as in women of child-bearing age of Latin American origin is implemented in Germany, a risk of occasional transmission of T. cruzi remains. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:26:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6d58e3c9004b4ad38ac317aedab3f089 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2235-2988 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T20:26:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6d58e3c9004b4ad38ac317aedab3f0892023-01-25T09:22:59ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology2235-29882023-01-011210.3389/fcimb.2022.10472811047281Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and serological status related to Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in Germany: A cross-sectional study in six German citiesMargit Wirth0Rosa Isela Gálvez1Johannes Jochum2Johannes Jochum3Ricardo Strauss4Kaja Kristensen5Kaja Kristensen6August Stich7Miriam Stegemann8Miriam Stegemann9Philipp Stahl10Karl Philipp Puchner11Jörn Strasen12Jörn Strasen13Sandra Parisi14Trixi Braasch15Marion Bender16Marion Bender17Anna Hörning18Monika Hanke19Monika Hanke20Stefan Störk21Stefan Störk22Thomas Jacobs23Michael Pritsch24Thomas Zoller25Thomas Zoller26Department of Tropical Medicine, Missioklinik, Klinikum Würzburg Mitte, Würzburg, GermanyProtozoa Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyI. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyInfectious Disease Epidemiology Department, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, GermanyInfectious Disease Epidemiology Department, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, GermanyFaculty of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Tropical Medicine, Missioklinik, Klinikum Würzburg Mitte, Würzburg, GermanyCharité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Gießen and Marburg, Marburg, Germany0Laboratory of Primary Health Care, General Medicine and Health Services Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece1Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Missioklinik, Klinikum Würzburg Mitte, Würzburg, Germany2Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany3Department of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany4Department of Internal Medicine, Bundeswehr Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany5Medical Department of the worldwide air ambulance Unicair GmbH, Idstein, Germany6Department of Occupational Medicine, B.A.D, Health Center, Koblenz, Germany2Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany2Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany7Department of Clinical Research & Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany2Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany7Department of Clinical Research & Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, GermanyProtozoa Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany8Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Munich, GermanyCharité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, GermanyBackgroundLittle is known about knowledge, attitudes and behaviors concerning Chagas disease (CD) among Latin American migrants in Germany to inform public health decision making.MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted between March 2014 and October 2019 among Latin American migrants in six cities in Germany to obtain information on migration history, socioeconomic and insurance status, knowledge about CD, potential risk factors for Trypanosoma cruzi infection, and willingness to donate blood or organs.Results168 participants completed the questionnaire. The four countries with the highest proportion of participants contributing to the study population were Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Ecuador. Before migrating to Europe, the majority of the study population resided in an urban setting in houses made of stone or concrete, had higher academic education and was integrated into the German healthcare and healthcare insurance system. The majority of all study participants were also willing to donate blood and organs and a quarter of them had donated blood previously. However, many participants lacked basic knowledge about symptoms and modes of transmission of Chagas disease. One out of 56 serologic tests (1.8%) performed was positive. The seropositive female participant born in Argentina had a negative PCR test and no signs of cardiac or other organ involvement.ConclusionsThe study population does not reflect the population structure at risk for T. cruzi infection in endemic countries. Most participants had a low risk profile for infection with T. cruzi. Although the sample size was small and sampling was not representative of all persons at risk in Germany, the seroprevalence found was similar to studies previously conducted in Europe. As no systematic screening for T. cruzi in Latin American blood and organ donors as well as in women of child-bearing age of Latin American origin is implemented in Germany, a risk of occasional transmission of T. cruzi remains.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.1047281/fullChagasnon-endemic countryLatinomigrantimmigrationprimary prevention |
| spellingShingle | Margit Wirth Rosa Isela Gálvez Johannes Jochum Johannes Jochum Ricardo Strauss Kaja Kristensen Kaja Kristensen August Stich Miriam Stegemann Miriam Stegemann Philipp Stahl Karl Philipp Puchner Jörn Strasen Jörn Strasen Sandra Parisi Trixi Braasch Marion Bender Marion Bender Anna Hörning Monika Hanke Monika Hanke Stefan Störk Stefan Störk Thomas Jacobs Michael Pritsch Thomas Zoller Thomas Zoller Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and serological status related to Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in Germany: A cross-sectional study in six German cities Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology Chagas non-endemic country Latino migrant immigration primary prevention |
| title | Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and serological status related to Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in Germany: A cross-sectional study in six German cities |
| title_full | Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and serological status related to Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in Germany: A cross-sectional study in six German cities |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and serological status related to Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in Germany: A cross-sectional study in six German cities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and serological status related to Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in Germany: A cross-sectional study in six German cities |
| title_short | Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and serological status related to Chagas disease among Latin American migrants in Germany: A cross-sectional study in six German cities |
| title_sort | knowledge attitudes behaviors and serological status related to chagas disease among latin american migrants in germany a cross sectional study in six german cities |
| topic | Chagas non-endemic country Latino migrant immigration primary prevention |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.1047281/full |
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