Congenital Chagas disease: alert of research negligence

Abstract

Introduction: Chagas disease (CD), a neglected endemic disease in Latin America, has acquired new epidemiological characteristics with an increase in the importance of alternative transmission routes such as congenital transmission. We evaluated the scientific research on this subject. Methods: We searched the Scielo, BVS, and PubMed databases from 2006 to 2017. Results: We identified a small number of published articles, mostly in journals with an impact factor less than 3.0. Studies on human congenital transmission of CD were carried out in only seven different countries. Conclusions: Our data highlight the lack of research on congenital CD.

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

“…The high seroprevalence found in women of childbearing age highlights the importance of campaigns for the detection and early treatment of congenitally infected newborns, as congenital transmission has been shown to be of increasing epidemiological importance 10,19,20 . The specific etiological treatment for women of childbearing potential has also been identified as the only effective form of prevention of congenital transmission [21][22][23] .…”

Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi in pregnant women in Midwest Brazil: an evaluation of congenital transmission

“…Serological screening for T. cruzi infection in the prenatal care has not yet been implemented at the national level. Consequently, due to the poor monitoring of pregnant women and their children especially in endemic regions, many cases of congenital transmission might be underreported and neglected in Brazil 12 .…”

“…Early diagnosis and treatment of the newborn are essential to reduce the risk of developing disabling chronic conditions 11 . Due to the non-inclusion of T. cruzi diagnosis in the prenatal serological screening in several Brazilian regions, asymptomatic cases of congenital transmission may be underestimated and consequently neglected 12 .…”

Knowledge Production on Congenital Chagas Disease across Time, Borders and Disciplines: A Comprehensive Scoping Review

“…There are other reviews with a more specific focus, such as Chagas cardiomyopathy [ 36 ]; health education approaches [ 35 ]; and clinical studies on treatments [ 1 ]. Among them, one study surveys knowledge production and research activity specifically on congenital Chagas disease (CCD), highlighting a significant lack of research production on this topic [ 37 ]. However, the authors focused on the epidemiological and diagnostic aspects of CCD and covered literature on humans during the period 2006 to 2017, limiting the search to sources written in English.…”