Short Report: Detectable Trypanosoma cruzi Parasitemia during Pregnancy and Delivery as a Risk Factor for Congenital Chagas Disease

Chagas disease, a major parasitic endemic disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi , is a public health priority in Latin America, particularly among rural populations with low economic status. In spite of the effectiveness of vector control in the past two decades, 1 several countries, including Bolivia, are still highly endemic for this disease. However, the dramatic decrease in vectorial transmission shows the roles of blood transfusion and congenital transmission in the development of Chagas disease. The latter factor became a major concern in non-endemic countries where T. cruzi -infected women of childbearing age are living, both within Latin America and in countries with heavy immigration from the disease-endemic countries. The transmission rate, i.e., the prevalence of infected women who transmit the parasite to their child, seems rather constant at approximately 5%, 2