Seroprevalence of Chagas in urban and rural indigenous populations of the south of Gran Chaco

Background & objectives In Latin America, Chagas disease is endemic, with high prevalence in rural indigenous communities and increasing prevalence in urban areas due to migration from rural areas with active vector transmission. The objective of the work was to assess differences in the prevalence of Chagas disease in urban and rural moqoit communities of the south of Gran Chaco, Santa Fe province, Argentina. Methods A seroprevalence study was conducted in six moqoit populations. Belonging to an urban community was considered as an exposure variable, whereas seropositivity for Chagas disease was considered as an outcome variable Results The results showed that 9.26% of the 702 volunteers evaluated and 3.50% of women of childbearing potential were seropositive. The prevalence of Chagas disease in urban communities was 6.41 times higher than in rural communities. Interpretation & conclusions The seroprevalence found in the moqoit community is higher than that estimated for the general population of the same region, with greater impact in the urban area than in the rural area. The decline of vector transmission in the rural area could be related to the conservation of ancestral practices and the expansion of the agricultural model.