The Epidemiological Relevance of Family Study in Chagas Disease.

Chagas disease is a public health problem in Latin America and has become an emerging issue in countries with immigrants from endemic areas. A study conducted between 2008 and 2011 in Chile aimed to estimate the number of family members infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The study found that out of 419 individuals interviewed, 218 were infected, with an average of 3.1 infected members per nuclear family. The study suggests that the prevalence of Chagas disease may be greater than current estimates, as they may only consider index cases and not their contacts. The lack of pharmacological treatment for infected individuals highlights the need for sustainable programs of attention and control. [Extracted from the article]