Taxa de infecção triatomínica e pesquisa de infecção humana por trypanosoma cruzi em uma área rural de Sergipe

Abstract

The Human Chagas disease still affects a great number of people around the world, and the Northeast of Brazil has attracted the attention of public health authorities, due to the presence of native insects and dwellings of poor quality, prone to colonization of triatomines responsible for transmission of this disease. Aiming to check the infection rate of triatomines and research the human infection with Trypanosoma cruzi in a rural area of Tobias Barreto in the southern state of Sergipe, was developed a study with two model approaches. Initially retrospective data were collected at the Laboratório Central de Sergipe to identify the species and the infection rate of triatomines with Trypanosoma cruzi in this municipality. The species found were: Triatoma pseudomaculata, Triatoma tibiamaculata, Triatoma melanocephala, Panstrongylus megistus, Panstrongylus lutzi and Panstrongylus geniculates. It was observed a wide variation in the rate of infection in different species - 31.2 to 100.0% (from 2006 to 2011). Proceeded with a cross-sectional study involving 235 individuals, aged 1-30 years old, in the villages of Alagoinhas and Poço da Clara. We collected blood samples from 235 individuals of this population. These samples were submitted to serological tests for Chagas Disease (ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence), but did not identify the disease in the population studied. It is possible that this seronegativity is result of factors such as young age (under 30 years), vector-parasite interaction (with lower rates of metacyclogenesis) or the influence of host genetics in susceptibility to infection. It wasn´t detected human infection in the population aged 1-30 years old, despite high infection rate of triatomines with Trypanosoma cruzi in the region, suggesting no recent transmission of the Chagas Disease.