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Strategies for the early detection and entomological surveillance of chagas disease in ecuador: Between oblivion and reemergence

Abstract:

Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, constituting a social and public health problem in the Americas. In recent years in Ecuador there has been a sustained rebound in CD cases and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, emphasized the need to apply strategies for the control of neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030, incorporating guidelines related to the EC. A descriptive study was carried out in order to verify the adoption by the Ecuadorian state of strategies for early detection and entomological surveillance of CD, according to the roadmap proposed by the WHO. To do this, the epidemiology of CD was consulted during the 2013-2020 period, guidelines and strategies for elimination of neglected diseases were reviewed, epidemiological analysis of CD was carried out, and strategies for early detection of CD were categorized. An increase in chronic CD cases was observed compared to acute CD (n = 432; 78.26% vs 21.74%). In addition, the Ecuadorian state applies guidelines for the interruption of domiciliary and transfusion vector transmission, elimination of congenital CD and coverage of antiparasitic treatment of the population at risk, however, no measures are applied for the interruption of transmission by organ transplantation. In this sense, it is necessary to implement strategies and protocols, aimed at detecting parasitosis in transplanted patients, as well as training communities around the interruption of vector transmission of CD.