Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates
13:55

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates

Published on: January 27, 2019

Risk factors for Trypanosoma cruzi human infection in Barinas State, Venezuela

M Dora Feliciangeli1, Maria J Sánchez-Martín, Benny Suárez

  • 1Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Centro Nacional de Referencia de Flebótomos y Otros Vectores, Universidad de Carabobo, Maracay, Venezuela. mdora@movistar.net.ve

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
|May 10, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Chagas disease transmission in Venezuelan children is low but linked to environmental factors like dirt floors and proximity to palm trees. Congenital transmission may also occur, necessitating new control strategies beyond insecticides.

Area of Science:

  • * Infectious Diseases
  • * Tropical Medicine
  • * Public Health Epidemiology

Background:

  • * Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a significant public health concern in Latin America.
  • * Understanding transmission dynamics and risk factors is crucial for effective control programs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To quantify Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in children under 15 in Barinas State, Venezuela.
  • * To identify key risk factors associated with Chagas disease infection in this population.

Main Methods:

  • * Cross-sectional study involving serological testing of 3,296 children.
  • * Environmental assessment including detection of Rhodnius prolixus and dwelling characteristics.
  • * Multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine infection predictors.

Main Results:

  • * Low seroprevalence of 0.12% (4/3,296) in children, with one case suggesting congenital transmission.
  • * Overall seroprevalence of 3.3% in 10 studied localities.
  • * Infection associated with child's age, dirt floors, and proximity to palm trees; Rhodnius prolixus presence noted.

Conclusions:

  • * Chagas disease transmission in the studied pediatric population is low.
  • * Environmental factors and potential congenital transmission are significant considerations.
  • * Current insecticide strategies may be insufficient, highlighting the need for novel control approaches.

More Related Videos

Establishment of Larval Zebrafish as an Animal Model to Investigate Trypanosoma cruzi Motility In Vivo13:21

Establishment of Larval Zebrafish as an Animal Model to Investigate Trypanosoma cruzi Motility In Vivo

Published on: September 30, 2017

In Vitro Drug Screening Against All Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi Using Parasites Expressing β-galactosidase08:48

In Vitro Drug Screening Against All Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi Using Parasites Expressing β-galactosidase

Published on: November 5, 2021

Related Concept Videos

American Trypanosomiasis01:22

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
Leishmaniasis01:30

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a protozoal disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. The parasite exists in two principal morphological forms during its life cycle. A sandfly acquires intracellular amastigotes from an infected reservoir host, such as a dog. Within the sandfly, these forms differentiate into motile, flagellated promastigotes. During a subsequent blood meal, promastigotes are injected into the human host, where they...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection01:26

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
Arboviral Encephalitis01:25

Arboviral Encephalitis

Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...