[Chagas-Mazza disease. Preliminary basic social study]

Chagas-Mazza disease is an endemic infection of chronic evolution and is essentially American. Its transmission by vinchuca in Argentine has created a medical, psychological and social problem of great and important significance. The basic, preliminary and social study carried out in a hospital unit, showed in the population attended, precarious socioenvironmental conditions during childhood and adolescence and the almost total lack of basic information on the disease. Interviews, inquests, questionnaires, group actions, team work, direct dialogues, counselling and guidance groups and the guiding to specialized institutions, constitute a synthesis of the task developed which, in its preliminary stage, showed sufficient reasons to continue the control of health during pregnancy, childbirth, puerperium and lactation.