Purpose: The state of Veracruz, Mexico, is a well-recognized endemic region for Chagas disease, but congenital transmission has not been extensively studied. We estimated here the prevalence and the risk of congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in pregnant women from 27 municipalities of central Veracruz.
Methods: 528 sera from pregnant women were analyzed by ELISA and IFA assays for the detection of IgG antibodies against T. cruzi.
Results: The presence of anti-T. cruzi antibodies was identified in women from 17 municipalities, obtaining an overall seroprevalence of 17.0%. A higher seropositivity was observed in the municipalities of Orizaba (25.2%), Nogales (13.6%), and Río Blanco (10.5%). The results suggest that there is a high risk of congenital transmission of T. cruzi in the region.
Conclusion: There are currently limited actions for the surveillance and control of congenital transmission of Chagas disease in Veracruz.
Keywords: Congenital transmission; Pregnant woman; Seroprevalence; Trypanosoma cruzi.