Chagas disease in Italy: the study's contribution of Italian researchers

Panminerva Med. 2019 Dec;61(4):464-472. doi: 10.23736/S0031-0808.19.03723-6. Epub 2019 Jul 30.

Abstract

Chagas disease (CD) is an emerging infection in Italy as the consequence of the huge immigration from Latin American countries observed during the last ten-fifteen years. However, the interest of Italian researchers on CD dates back to the '80-90s of the last century with studies conducted in collaboration with Brazilian and Argentinian colleagues by Italian cardiologists and pathologists. Moreover, the first demonstration of the existence in the pre-Columbian America of Chagas disease in a Peruvian mummy was made by a group of Italian paleopathologists. Seroprevalence studies performed between 2010-2014 in Negrar (Verona), Bergamo, Milan, Florence and Rome shows Trypanosoma cruzi infection ranging from 3.9% to 17.1% with people coming from Bolivia as the most affected. As observed in Latin America about 30% of screened subjects in Italy are affected by cardiac or digestive forms of CD. More than 20% of subjects treated with benznidazole discontinued it permanently due to adverse events.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chagas Disease / diagnosis*
  • Chagas Disease / epidemiology*
  • Chagas Disease / therapy*
  • Child
  • Emigration and Immigration
  • Female
  • Geography
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Latin America
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Trypanosoma cruzi