Trypanosoma cruzi seroprevalence among solid organ donors in Ceará State, Brazil

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Vol. 51; no. 5; pp. 616 - 621
• Main Authors: Costa, Alanna Carla da, Silva Filho, José Damião da, Rocha, Eduardo Arrais, Andrade, Mônica Coelho, Fidalgo, Arduina Sofia Ortet de Barros Vasconcelos, Almeida, Eliana Régia Barbosa, Viana, Carlos Eduardo Menezes, Freitas, Erlane Chaves, Coelho, Ivo Castelo Branco, Oliveira, Maria de Fátima
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 01.09.2018; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical - SBMT; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Blood transfusion; Brazil; Brazil - epidemiology; Chagas disease; Chagas Disease - epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Cytomegalovirus; Disease transmission; Female; Health risks; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Humans; Infections; Male; Males; Middle Aged; Organ donors; Organ transplantation; Prevalence; Protozoa; Retrospective Studies; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; Statistical analysis; Statistical tests; Stroke; Tissue Donors - statistics & numerical data; Toxoplasmosis; Transfusion; Transplantation; Transplants; Transplants & implants; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi - immunology; Vector-borne diseases; Young Adult; Brazil; Brazil; Chagas disease; Stroke; Prevalence; Organ transplantation; Trypanosoma cruzi
• ISSN: 0037-8682; 1678-9849; 1678-9849
• DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0406-2017

The transmission of Chagas disease (CD) through blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and oral transmission has gained greater visibility as a result of intensified vector control activities in endemic regions and to control CD in non-endemic regions. In Brazil, Ceará is one of the states that perform the most organ transplants. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in organ donor candidates. A retrospective analysis was performed on data from potential organ donors at the Center of Transplantation of the State of Ceará from 2010 - 2015. Data from a total of 2,822 potential donors were obtained, of which 1,038 were effective donors and 1,784 were excluded, likely due to lack of family authorization or medical contraindication. The prevalence of T. cruzi infection among these potential donors was 1.3% (n = 29). The majority of infected donors were males aged 41 - 60 years, residing in the interior of the state. Interestingly, 72.4% (n = 21) had positive or inconclusive serology for additional infections, such as cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B and C, and toxoplasmosis. Probability analysis revealed that stroke was the most common cause of death among potential donors with CD. There was a high prevalence of CD and other coinfections among potential solid organ donors in Ceará, and statistical tests have shown that these individuals are at increased risk of stroke when compared to potential non-reactive donors. This work highlights the importance of screening DC infection in potential donors.