Trypanosoma cruzi infection in puerperal women and their neonates at Barcelona, Anzoategui State, Venezuela.

Introduction. Trypanosoma cruzi is mainly transmitted by vectors. Other pathways such as oral and congenital transmission have become increasingly relevant. Objective. To evaluate T. cruzi infections in post-partum women and their newborns who attended the Hospital Universitario Dr. Luis Razetti (Barcelona, Anzoátegui state, Venezuela). Materials and methods. A prospective cross-sectional study was undertaken from May, 2015, to August, 2016. ELISA, MABA and IFI assays were used to determine the infection in 1,200 post-partum women. The newborns of seropositive women were then examined for T. cruzi by PCR amplification and serological tests at nine months old. The prevalence of the parasitic infection in post-partum women and their newborns was then estimated. To establish the relationship between risk factors and infection, the chi-square test (c2) and the probability ratio (OR) was applied. Results. A total of 78 women were identified as seropositive (6.50 %) (CI 95%: 5.10-7.89%), and parasitic DNA was detected in six of their newborns (9.09%). Nine months after birth eleven infants were examined, and all were found to be serologically negative. Risk factors detected were pregnancy duration (OR: 0,36; CI95%: 0,15-0,84), where the patients lived at present (OR: 0,34; CI95%: 0,24-0,62) or previously (OR: 2,50; CI95%: 1,38-4,52) and having relatives with Chagas disease (OR: 1,75; CI95%: 1,02-3,01). Conclusions. Seroprevalence for T. cruzi infection in young post-partum women in rural areas was high. The detection of parasite DNA at birth was not indicative of congenital Chagas disease.