Guillermo M. Marconcini
BackgroundUrbanization of Chagas disease is a consequence of the significant rural-urban migration to the capital of the country and to the province of Buenos Aires, which has taken place during the last 30 years, producing alterations in the vector transmission of the infection. Efforts should focus on preventing Chagas disease transmission from infected patients living in non-endemic areas. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to conduct a school survey to assess the epidemiological status and the prevalence of Chagas disease in non-endemic regions. Material and MethodsFrom May to October 2006, eight public schools were surveyed. The statistical procedure was descriptive, indicating frequency and percentages, and statistical significance was determined by the chi-square test. A p value <0.001 was considered statistical significant. Results Data from 1,293 children and their households were obtained. Eighty four percent of students were born in the province of Buenos Aires. Among the mothers, 43.8% were native of endemic provinces and 9.8 % were born in endemic countries. According to the survey, the prevalence of the disease was 13.8%. Conclusions The survey confirmed the epidemiological impact of Chagas disease in the region. Discrep- ancies with other indexes suggest that each region should be evaluated individually as they depend on multicausality.