Pesquisa de anticorpos anti- Trypanosoma cruzi e avaliação dos conhecimentos sobre a doença de Chagas em gestantes do extremo sul do Brasil

Abstract

Chagas disease (CD) is a parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Transmission occurs mainly through vector, transfusion, oral and congenital routes. Rio Grande do Sul (RS) is considered endemic for the disease, especially in the south of the state, with 12 species of triatomines recorded in the region, especially in rural areas. With the advance of vector transmission control, other infection routes have gained prominence and the lack of studies on congenital transmission in this region reveals the need to monitor pregnant women, both in terms of serological aspects and knowledge about the disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of IgG antibodies to T. cruzi in pregnant and postpartum women who live/lived in rural areas of cities belonging to the 3rd Regional Health Coordinator (CRS) and to verify socioeconomic and knowledge aspects about CD and its vectors, through a semi-structured questionnaire. After the application of the questionnaire, the request for the serological test was delivered to the patients so that it could be performed free of charge in laboratories affiliated with the SUS or in the private network. The techniques involved were the Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA) (ARCHITEC Chagas®, Abott) for screening and, when this was reagent, for confirmation, the Indirect Immunofluorescence Reaction (RIFI) test (WAMA® Diagnosis) was carried out. as recommended by the Ministry of Health. The 2 test was used to assess the seroprevalence of CD in relation to different socio-epidemiological factors and knowledge/concepts regarding the disease. For statistically significant associations, the odds ratio was also calculated. Among the 119 pregnant women, 27% (33) underwent serological testing, with a prevalence of 6.1% (2 cases). Knowledge about T. cruzi infection and its vectors was low when compared to similar studies. The variables that were shown to be significant were: living or having lived in a rural area, and having found a barber at home, higher education and correctness in the question relating CD to possible heart problems, in addition to saying that they know what CD is and recognizing the triatomine. The low knowledge of pregnant women and the presence of positive cases confirm the need for educational campaigns and the development of informative material about the disease.