Hurtado Lisbeth A, Calzada José E, Pineda Vanessa, González Kadir, Santamaría Ana María, Cáceres Lorenzo, Wald Coridalia, Saldaña Azael
Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico de Enfermedades Parasitarias (CIDEP), Faculta de Medicina, Universidad de Panamá, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
Biomedica. 2014 Apr-Jun;34(2):260-70. doi: 10.1590/S0120-41572014000200012.
The implementation of surveillance, control and prevention measures for Chagas´ disease requires an integrated approach. The sustainability of programs depends on community participation supported on a basic understanding of the problem.
To evaluate the knowledge of people interviewed which facilitates or limits the surveillance, prevention and control of Chagas' disease in two endemic Panamanian communities where Rhodnius pallescens is the main vector.
A questionnaire assessed the knowledge and risk factors related to Chagas' disease in 201 people over 10 years of age from the endemic communities of Las Pavas and Lagartera Grande located on the western shore of Panama Canal. Additionally, with the help of the residents, the presence of triatomine bugs in 93 dwellings was evaluated during a year.
Of those interviewed, 69.2% (139/201) had poor or very poor knowledge about Chagas' disease. Nearly 93% (187/201) was exposed to moderate or high risk factors. Triatomine bugs were collected in 20.4% (19/93) of the evaluated homes; 80% (66/76) of them were R. pallescens. Significant association was found between the presence of triatomines inside the houses and precarious housing (p<0.01).
Despite having been exposed to health education-related programs, it is necessary to strengthen the basic knowledge about Chagas' disease in the two communities before establishing prevention and surveillance measures which involve active participation of its inhabitants.
恰加斯病监测、控制和预防措施的实施需要综合方法。项目的可持续性取决于社区参与，而这又依赖于对该问题的基本理解。
评估接受访谈的人群的知识水平，这些知识对巴拿马两个以苍白猎蝽为主要传播媒介的流行社区的恰加斯病监测、预防和控制起到促进或限制作用。
通过问卷调查评估了来自巴拿马运河西岸的拉斯帕瓦斯和拉加特拉格兰德两个流行社区的201名10岁以上人群与恰加斯病相关的知识和风险因素。此外，在居民的协助下，一年内对93户住宅中的锥蝽存在情况进行了评估。
在接受访谈的人群中，69.2%（139/201）对恰加斯病的了解较差或非常差。近93%（187/201）暴露于中度或高度风险因素。在评估的房屋中，20.4%（19/93）发现了锥蝽；其中80%（66/76）为苍白猎蝽。房屋内锥蝽的存在与住房条件差之间存在显著关联（p<0.01）。
尽管参与了与健康教育相关的项目，但在建立涉及居民积极参与的预防和监测措施之前，仍有必要加强这两个社区对恰加斯病的基本知识。
