Skip to main content
Log in

Prevalence and epidemiological significance ofTrypanosoma cruzi infection among latin american immigrants in Berlin, Germany

  • Originalia
  • Published:
Infection Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A survey was conducted among Latin American immigrants living in Berlin to investigate the presence ofTrypanosoma cruzi infection and to evaluate possible risk factors. One hundred persons were interviewed about risk factors (rural origin, contact with the reduviid bug) and evaluated serologically. The sera were tested with indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). All samples seroreactive with IIF were additionally evaluated with an ELISA forT. cruzi antibodies. To rule out cross-reactivity all seroreactive sera were tested with IIF forLeishmania infantum antibodies. Two persons were seroreactive in IIF and ELISA and three were seroreactive in the IIF only. The overall seroprevalence according to WHO criteria was therefore 2% (2/100). All samples were negative forLeishmania antibodies. Only one of the seropositive persons showed a risk factor forT. cruzi infection in their medical history. These findings suggest that routine serologic testing of Latin Americans is indicated to reduce the risk of transmission by blood transfusion and congenital transmission.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anonymous: Control of Chagas' disease. WHO Technical Report Series, World Health Organization (1991) 811.

  2. Dias, J. C. P., Brener, S. Chagas' disease and blood transfusion. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz S79 (1984) 139–147.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Azogue, E. Women and congenital Chagas' disease in Santa Cruz, Bolivia: epidemiological and sociocultural aspects. Soc. Sci. Med. 37 (1993) 503–511.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Schmuñis, G. A. Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas' disease: status in the blood supply in endemic and nonendemic countries. Transfusion 6 (1991) 547–557.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Grant, I. H., Gold, J. W., Wittener, M., Tanowitz, H. B., Nathan, C., Mayer, K., Reich, L., Wollener, N., Steinherz, L., Ghavimi, F., O'Reilly, R., Armstrong, D. Transfusion associated acute Chagas' disease acquired in the United States. Ann. Intern. Med. 111 (1989) 849–851.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kirchhoff, L. V., Gam, A. A., Gillian, F. C. American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease) in Central American immigrants. Am. J. Med. 82 (1987) 915–920.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Villalba, R., Fornés, G., Alvarez, M. A., Román, J., Rubio, V., Fernández, M., García, J. M., Viñals, M., Torres, A. Acute Chagas' disease in a recipient of a bone marrow transplant in Spain: case report. Clin. Infect. Dis. 14 (1992) 594–595.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Pehrson, P. O., Wahlgren, M., Bengtson, E. Asymptomatic congenital Chagas' disease in a 5-year-old child. Scand. J. Infect. Dis. 13 (1981) 307–308.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Schattschneider, W., Lopes, E. R., De Alencar, J. E., Bienzle, U., Feldmeier, H. A comparative study of four serological methods for diagnosis of acute and chronic Chagas' disease in Brazilian patients. Trop. Geogr. Med. 44 (1992) 210–218.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Feldmeier, H., Fischer, H., Blaumeister, G. Kinetics of humoral response during the acute and the convalescent phase of human trichinosis. Zentralbl. Bakt. Hyg. 264 (1987) 221–234.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Voller, A., Draper, C., Bidwell, D. E., Bartlett, A. Microplate enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for Chagas' disease. Lancet i (1975) 426–429.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Carvalho, M. R., Krieger, M. A., Almeida, E., Oelemann, W., Shikanai-Yassuda, M. A., Ferreira, A. W., Perreira, J. B., Sáez-Alquézar, A., Dorlhiac-Llacer, P. E., Chamone, D. F., Goldenberg, S. Chagas' disease diagnosis: evaluation of several tests in bloodbank screening. Transfusion 33 (1993) 830–834.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kerndt, P. R., Waskin, H. A., Kirchoff, L. V., Steurer, F., Waterman, S. H., Nelson, J. M., Gellert, G. A., Shulman, I. A. Prevalence of antibody toTrypanosoma cruzi among blood donors in Los Angeles, California. Transfusion 31 (1991) 814–818.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Wendel, S., Brenner, Z., Camargo, M. E., Rassi, A.: Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis): its impact on transfusion and clinical medicine. 22nd Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT), São Paulo Brazil (1992) 165–178.

  15. Carrasco, R., Miguez, H., Camacho, C. Prevalence ofTrypanosoma cruzi infection in blood banks of seven departments of Bolivia. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 85 (1990) 69–73.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Schofield, C. J. Control of Chagas' disease vectors. Br. Med. Bull. 41 (1985) 187–194.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Weinke, T., Ueberreiter, K., Alexander, M. Cardiac morbidity due to Chagas' disease in a rural community in Bolivia. Epidemiol. Infect. 101 (1988) 655–660.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Appleman, M. D., Shulman, I. A., Saxena, S., Kirchhoff, L. V. Use of a questionnaire to identify potential blood donors at risk for infection withTrypanosoma cruzi. Transfusion 33 (1993) 61–64.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Arcavi, M., Orfus, G., Griemberg, G. Incidencia de la infección chagasica en embarazadas y en recién nacidos en un area no endemica. Medicina (Buenos Aires) 53 (1993) 217–222.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Gianella, A., von Poser, B., Zamora, P. Chagas' infection in university students of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia: a serologic-electro-cardiographic study. Rev. Inst. Med. Trop. São Paulo 36 (1994) 515–518.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Wendel, S., Gonzaga, A. L. Chagas' disease and blood transfusion: a new world problem? Vox Sang, 64 (1993) 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Anonymous: Bevölkerung und Erwerbstätigkeit, In: Fachserie 1: Reihe 2 Ausländer, 1994, Statistisches Bundesamt. Verlag Metzler-Poeschel, Stuttgart (1995) pp. 8–19.

  23. Kirchhoff, L. V. American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease) — a tropical disease now in the United States. N. Engl. J. Med. 329 (1993) 639–644.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Dias, J. C. P. Control of Chagas' disease in Brazil. Parasitol. Today 3 (1987) 336–341.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Rassi, A., Rezende, J. M. Prevention of transmission ofTrypanosoma cruzi by blood transfusion. In: New approaches to trypanosomiasis research (scientific publication no. 318) Pan Am. Health Org., Washington (1975), pp. 273–278.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Nickerson, P., Pamela, O., Schroeder, M. L., Sekla, L., Johnston, J. B. Transfusion-associatedTrypanosoma cruzi infection in a non-endemic area. Ann. Intern. Med. 111 (1989) 851–853.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Howard, J., Rubio, M. Congenital Chagas disease: clinical and epidemiological study of thirty cases. Bol. Chil. Parasitol. 23 (1968) 107–112.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Freilij, F., Muller, L., Gonzalez, S. Direct micromethod for diagnosis of acute and congenital Chagas' disease. J. Clin. Microbiol. 18 (1983) 327–330.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Freilij, F., Altech, J. Congenital Chagas' disease: diagnostic and clinical aspects. Clin. Infect. Dis. 21 (1995) 551–555.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frank, M., Hegenscheid, B., Janitschke, K. et al. Prevalence and epidemiological significance ofTrypanosoma cruzi infection among latin american immigrants in Berlin, Germany. Infection 25, 355–358 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01740817

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01740817

Keywords

Navigation