World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2002;905:i-vi, 1-109, back cover.
Chagas disease occurs throughout Mexico and central and southern America and continues to pose a serious threat to health in many countries of the region. People infected with the trypanosome parasite may suffer cardiac, gastrointestinal, or neurological damage, although disease manifestations vary widely from one endemic area to another. In the past decade, control programmes in several endemic countries have proved remarkably successful; interruption of disease transmission has been achieved in some and is imminent in others, leading to a substantial reduction in the incidence of Chagas disease in Latin America. However, 8-9 million people in Mexico and the Andean and central American countries are infected with the parasite and 25 million remain at risk, emphasizing the need to sustain and extend control strategies. This report of a WHO Expert Committee reviews current knowledge of Chagas disease and its pathogenesis, discusses the causative parasite, the triatomine vectors, and the natural reservoirs of infection, and considers the epidemiology and incidence trends of the disease. Prevention and control strategies are described, as are the various formal initiatives for interruption of disease transmission. The report concludes by identifying priorities for research and offering guidance for the planning, implementation, and strengthening of national control programmes.
恰加斯病在墨西哥以及美洲中部和南部均有发生，并且继续对该地区许多国家的健康构成严重威胁。感染锥虫寄生虫的人可能会出现心脏、胃肠道或神经损伤，尽管不同流行地区的疾病表现差异很大。在过去十年中，几个流行国家的防控计划已证明非常成功；一些国家已实现疾病传播的阻断，其他国家也即将实现，这使得拉丁美洲恰加斯病的发病率大幅下降。然而，墨西哥、安第斯地区和中美洲国家有800万至900万人感染了这种寄生虫，还有2500万人仍面临风险，这凸显了维持和扩大防控策略的必要性。世卫组织专家委员会的这份报告回顾了目前关于恰加斯病及其发病机制的知识，讨论了致病寄生虫、锥蝽传播媒介以及天然感染宿主，并审议了该疾病的流行病学和发病率趋势。报告描述了预防和控制策略，以及为阻断疾病传播而开展的各种正式举措。报告最后确定了研究重点，并为国家防控计划的规划、实施和加强提供了指导。
