Active Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Schoolchildren from the Amazon Region in Napo Province, Ecuador.

Purpose Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a vector-borne disease with a major disease burden in the Americas, with over 6 million cases. There are about 200,000 cases in Ecuador, but the epidemiology of the disease is poorly understood, particularly in the Amazon region, making surveillance and control challenging. Methods We determined here the seroprevalence of T. cruzi antibodies in a cohort of 516 schoolchildren aged 5-15 years from Chontapunta parish, in the Napo province, Ecuador, using ELISA and indirect hemaglutination tests. Results We detected a seroprevalence of 0.77% (95% confidence interval 0.31-1.97%), with some significant variation among the three studied communities. Conclusion These data provide evidence of the ongoing transmission of T. cruzi in this area, and support the need to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and patient care.