Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chagas disease and housing improvement in northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional survey

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chagas disease was investigated in two new settlements of landless rural workers inhabiting prefabricated, triatomine-proof houses and in four neighboring older communities where mud huts were still well suitable for vectors. Through a cross-sectional survey and entomological assessment, we surveyed 148 houses/families in the two new settlements and in 47 houses/families in the four older localities. We determined seroprevalence of Chagas disease through IFI and Elisa (eluates) assays and searched for vectors in the domestic and peridomestic environments. Seroprevalence reached 0.6 % (3/466) in the new settlements and 0.8 % (1/115) in the older communities. Triatomines were not found in the new settlements, while 7 Triatoma brasiliensis, 4 T. pseudomaculata, 1 Panstrongylus lutzi, and 145 Rhodnius nasutus were collected in the older localities. In addition, a colony of T. brasiliensis (n = 55) was encountered inside a school attended by children of the region. Parasite strains isolated from the insects were characterized as T. cruzi I. Despite the low prevalence of Chagas disease in both scenarios, entomological surveillance must be strengthened and housing improvement reinforced in order to control vector transmission. The risk of infection by the vectors was lower in the settlements of improved homes, where conditions for colonization of the peridomestic environment by transmitting insects were not observed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alencar JE (1987) História Natural da Doença de Chagas no Estado do Ceará. Imprensa Universidade da UFC, Ceará

    Google Scholar 

  • Alkmim-Oliveira SM, Costa-Martins AG, Kappel HB, Correia D, Ramirez LE, Lages-Silva E (2013) Trypanosoma cruzi experimental congenital transmission associated with TcV and TcI subpatent maternal parasitemia. Parasitol Res 112:671–678

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Almeida CE, Folly-Ramos EF, Peterson AT, Lima-Neiva V, Gumiel M, Duarte R, Locks M, Beltrão M, Lima MM, Costa J (2009) Could the bug Triatoma sherlocki be vectoring Chagas disease in small mining communities in Bahia, Brazil? Med Vet Entomol 23:410–417

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Almeida CE, Oliveira HL, Correia N, Dornak LL, Gumiel M, Neiva VL, Harry M, Mendonça VJ, Costa J, Galvão C (2012) Dispersion capacity of Triatoma sherlocki, Triatoma juazeirensis and laboratory-bred hybrids. Acta Trop 122:71–79

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bastos CJC, Aras R, Mota G, Reis F (2010) Clinical outcomes of thirteen patients with acute Chagas disease acquired through oral transmission from two urban outbreaks in Northeastern Brazil. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 4:e711

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bezerra CM, Cavalcanti LPG, Souza RCM, Barbosa SE, Xavier SCC, Jansen AM, Ramalho RD, Diotaiuti L (2014) Domestic, peridomestic and wild hosts in the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in the Caatinga area colonized by Triatoma brasiliensis. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 109:887–898

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho-Costa FA, Santos SM, Pires MQ, Lopes CM, Noireau F, Pacheco RS (2010) Sylvatic and peridomestic populations of Triatoma pseudomaculata are not significantly structured by habitat, as revealed by two genetic markers. J Vector Ecol 35:295–300

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coutinho CFS, Souza-Santos R, Lima MM (2012) Combining geospatial analysis and exploratory study of triatomine ecology to evaluate the risk of Chagas disease in a rural locality. Acta Trop 121:30–33

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coutinho CF, Souza-Santos R, Teixeira NF, Georg I, Gomes TF, Boia MN, NB R d, Maia Ade O, Lima MM (2014) An entomoepidemiological investigation of Chagas disease in the state of Ceará, northeast region of Brazil. Cad Saude Publica 30:785–793

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dias E, Dias JCP (1968) Variações mensais da incidência das formas evolutivas do Triatoma infestans e do Panstrongylus megistus no município de Bambuí, Estado de Minas Gerais: (IIª nota: 1951 a 1964). Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 66:209–225

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dias JC (2009) Elimination of Chagas disease transmission: perspectives. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 104:41–45

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandes O, Santos S, Cupolillo E, Derre R, Junqueira ACV, Sturm NS, Naiff RD, Barret TV, Campbell DA, Coura JR (2001) A miniexon multiplex polymerase chain reaction to distinguish the major groups of Trypanosoma cruzi and T. rangeli in the Brazilian Amazon. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 95:97–99

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freitas SP, Freitas AL, Prazeres S, Gonçalves TCM (2004) Influence of anthropic habits in the dispersion of Triatoma pseudomaculata Corrêa & Espínola, 1964 through Mimosa tenuiflora (Willdenow) (Mimosaceae) in the State of Ceará, Brazil. Cad Saude Publica 20:333–336

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guhl F, Pinto N, Aguilera G (2009) Sylvatic Triatominae: a new challenge in vector control transmission. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 104:71–75

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lima MM, Coutinho CF, Gomes TF, Oliveira TG, Duarte R, Borges-Pereira J, Bóia MN, Sarquis O (2008) Risk presented by Copernicia prunifera palm trees in the Rhodnius nasutus distribution in a Chagas disease-endemic area of the Brazilian northeast. Am J Trop Med Hyg 79:750–754

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lima MM, Sarquis O, Oliveira TG, Gomes TF, Coutinho C, Daflon-Teixeira NF, Toma HK, Britto C, Teixeira BR, D’Andrea PS, Jansen AM, Bóia MN, Carvalho-Costa FA (2012) Investigation of Chagas disease in four periurban areas in northeastern Brazil: epidemiologic survey in man, vectors, non-human hosts and reservoirs. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 106:143–449

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Noireau F, Abad-Franch F, Valente SAS, Dias-Lima A, Lopes CM, Cunha V, Valente Palomeque FS, Carvalho-Pinto CJ, Sherlock I, Aguilar M, Steindel M, Grisard EC, Jurberg J (2002) Trapping triatomines in sylvatic habitats. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 97:61–63

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos AN Jr, Maul de Carvalho D (2001) The various meanings of Brazil’s certification as free of Chagas disease. Cad Saude Publica 17:1403–1412

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ribeiro D (1979) A América Latina existe? Org. E. Nepomuceno, 2010. Editora UNB, Brasília DF, Brazil pp 116

  • Santana KSO, Bavia ME, Lima AD, Guimarães ICS, Soares ES, Silva MMN (2011) Spatial distribution of triatomines (Reduviidae: Triatominae) in urban areas of the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Geospatial Health 5:199–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sales-Campos H, Kappel HB, Andrade CP, Lima TP, Mattos ME Jr, de Castilho A, Correia D, Giraldo LE, Lages-Silva E (2014) A DTU-dependent blood parasitism and a DTU-independent tissue parasitism during mixed infection of Trypanosoma cruzi in immunosuppressed mice. Parasitol Res 113:375–385

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sarquis O, Sposina R, de Oliveira TG, Mac Cord JR, Cabello PH, Borges-Pereira J, Lima MM (2006) Aspects of peridomiciliary ecotopes in rural areas of northeastern Brazil associated to triatomine (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) infestation, vectors of Chagas disease. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 101:143–147

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sarquis O, Borges-Pereira J, Mac Cord JR, Gomes TF, Cabello PH, Lima MM (2004) Epidemiology of Chagas disease in Jaguaruana, Ceará, Brazil. I. Presence of triatomines and index of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in four localities of a rural area. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 99:263–270

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sarquis O, Carvalho-Costa FA, Toma HK, Georg I, Burgoa MR, Lima MM (2012) Eco-epidemiology of Chagas disease in northeastern Brazil: Triatoma brasiliensis, T. pseudomaculata and Rhodnius nasutus in the sylvatic, peridomestic and domestic environments. Parasitol Res 110:1481–1485

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sarquis O, Carvalho-Costa FA, Oliveira LS, Duarte R, Andrea PS D, de Oliveira TG, Lima MM (2010) Ecology of Triatoma brasiliensis in northeastern Brazil: seasonal distribution, feeding resources, and Trypanosoma cruzi infection in a sylvatic population. J Vector Ecol 35:385–394

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silveira AC, Vinhaes MC, Lira E, Araújo E (2001) O controle de Triatoma brasiliensis e Triatoma pseudomaculata. OPAS, Brasília, p 86

    Google Scholar 

  • Valente SAS, Valente VC, Pinto AYN, César MJB, Santos MP, Miranda COS, Cuervo P, Fernandes O (2009) Analysis of an acute Chagas disease outbreak in the Brazilian Amazon: human cases, triatomines, reservoir mammals and parasites. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 103:291–297

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (1991) Control of Chagas Disease. Technical Report Series 811, Geneva. 1991

  • Zingales B, Souto RP, Mangia RH, Lisboa CV, Campbell DA, Coura JR, Jansen AM, Fernandes O (1998) Molecular epidemiology of American trypanosomiasis in Brazil based on dimorphisms of rRNA and mini-exon gene sequences. Int J Parasitol 28:105–112

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the people from the study communities for their kindness and patience to the study, the Secretary of Health of the State of Ceará; the City Hall and the Secretary of Health of Jaguaruana, Ceará, for the technical assistance, transportation, and physical facilities; to vector control surveillance agents, Marcos Eduardo Melo and Cleber Cesar Ramos, for the invaluable assistance with the field work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Ecoepidemiologia da Doença de Chagas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Avenida Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21045-900, Brazil

    Marli M. Lima, Tiago Guedes de Oliveira & Otília Sarquis

  2. Laboratório de Epidemiologia e Sistemática Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Avenida Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21045-900, Brazil

    Filipe A. Carvalho-Costa

  3. Escritório Técnico Regional Fiocruz Piauí, Rua Governador Artur Vasconcelos 221, Teresina, PI, Brazil

    Filipe A. Carvalho-Costa

  4. Laboratório de Diagnóstico Molecular e Hematologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-901, Brazil

    Helena K. Toma

  5. Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    José Borges-Pereira

Authors
  1. Marli M. Lima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Filipe A. Carvalho-Costa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Helena K. Toma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. José Borges-Pereira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tiago Guedes de Oliveira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Otília Sarquis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marli M. Lima.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lima, M.M., Carvalho-Costa, F.A., Toma, H.K. et al. Chagas disease and housing improvement in northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional survey. Parasitol Res 114, 1687–1692 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4350-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4350-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation