Mother-to-Child Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi

Hirut T Gebrekristos; Pierre Buekens

doi:10.1093/jpids/piu059

Mother-to-Child Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2014 Sep;3 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S36-40. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piu059.

Authors

Hirut T Gebrekristos¹, Pierre Buekens¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Abstract

Among the world's most neglected tropical diseases, Chagas disease is vector-borne and caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. T cruzi infection is endemic to South and Central America as well as Mexico. Due to population migration, T cruzi is increasingly becoming a public health problem in nonendemic settings. Success with vector control strategies has led to a relative increase in the burden attributable to congenital transmission of T cruzi. In endemic settings, approximately 5% of infected pregnant women transmit to their offspring. Congenital T cruzi infection is generally asymptomatic and parasitological and serological testing is required for diagnosis. This review highlights research gaps with a focus on (1) improving screening, diagnostic, and treatment options and (2) designing epidemiologic studies to understand risk factors for congenital T cruzi.

Keywords: Chagas disease; Trypanosoma cruzi; congenital infection; research gaps.