Chagas and Vector-Borne Disease Exposures in an Indigenous Community in the Ecuadorian Amazon: A Retrospective Study

There are limited data on vector-borne diseases from the Ecuadorian Amazon, particularly among marginalized Indigenous populations. From a survey of Shuar communities in Ecuador, we measured IgG antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi, dengue virus, and Leishmania spp. The prevalence of IgG antibodies was 7.4% for T. cruzi, 21.3% for dengue, and 96.8% for Leishmania spp. There was an increase in the risk of dengue infections with increasing age (per year; adjusted odds ratio [adj. OR]: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05, P = 0.001) and among females (adj. OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.03-4.57, P = 0.041). There was an increase in T. cruzi anti-Tc24 IgG antibody levels with greater age (Spearman r = 0.553, P = 0.05). This study showed a high prevalence or exposure to Chagas disease, dengue, and Leishmania spp. There remains an unmet need for surveillance to monitor the transmission of Chagas and other vector-borne diseases and their associated morbidity in marginalized communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon.