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In the Gran Chaco region, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) declared the interruption of vector transmission of Chagas Disease in Paraguay and some district of Argentina. After a bibliographic search, by using the words “Chagas, prevalence, children, Chaco”, on scientiphic articles indexed in Pubmed and Lilacs during the 2010–2021 period, we found nine studies which dealt with entomological data seroprevalence surveys of Chagas Disease in Argentine children and three studies in Bolivian children. More field studies need to be published to better understand the epidemiological situation in children from the region. Due to its social and ecological characteristics, the Gran Chaco region remains a hotspot for Chagas Disease affecting disproportionally rural communities and certain vulnerable ethnics groups.

Dengue virus (DENV) transmission occurs primarily in tropical and subtropical climates, but within the last decade it has extended to temperate regions. Santa Fe, a temperate province in Argentina, has experienced an increase in dengue cases and virus circulation since 2009, with the recent 2020 outbreak being the largest in the province to date. The aim of this work is to describe spatio-temporal fluctuations of dengue cases from 2009 to 2020 in Santa Fe Province. The data presented in this work provide a detailed description of DENV transmission for Santa Fe Province by department. These data are useful to assist in investigating drivers of dengue emergence in Santa Fe Province and for developing a better understanding of the drivers and the impacts of ongoing dengue emergence in temperate regions across the world. This work provides data useful for future studies including those investigating socio-ecological, climatic, and environmental factors associated with DENV transmission, as well as those investigating other variables related to the biology and the ecology of vector-borne diseases., Measurement(s) dengue disease • transmission of virus Technology Type(s) digital curation Factor Type(s) temporal interval • province department Sample Characteristic - Organism Homo sapiens • Dengue virus Sample Characteristic - Environment temperate Sample Characteristic - Location Santa Fe Province Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14494161

Background: In Latin America, Chagas disease is endemic, with a high prevalence in rural indigenous communities and an increasing prevalence in urban areas owing to migration from rural areas with active vector transmission. This study aimed to assess differences in the prevalence of Chagas disease in urban and rural moqoit communities, one of the main ethnic indigenous groups in the south of Gran Chaco. Methods: A seroprevalence study was conducted in six moqoit populations in the Santa Fe province, Argentina. The variables studied were serology results for Chagas disease, residents of urban or rural areas, age, and sex. Results: The results showed that 9.26% of the 702 volunteers evaluated and 18.32% of the 131women of childbearing potential were seropositive. According to the calculated prevalence ratio, the prevalence of Chagas disease in urban communities was6.41 (95% confidence inverval: 3.73-11.02) times higher than that in rural communities: 21.59% in urban communities vs. 3.37%in rural communities. Conclusions: The seroprevalence found in the moqoit community was higher than the estimated level for the general population of the same region, with a greater impact in urban areas than in rural areas. The urbanization of groups of people with poor socio-sanitary conditions in the second half of the 20th century could have caused this higher seroprevalence of Chagas disease.

Background & objectivesIn Latin America, Chagas disease is endemic, with high prevalence in rural indigenous communities and increasing prevalence in urban areas due to migration from rural areas with active vector transmission. The objective of the work was to assess differences in the prevalence of Chagas disease in urban and rural moqoit communities of the south of Gran Chaco, Santa Fe province, Argentina.MethodsA seroprevalence study was conducted in six moqoit populations. Belonging to an urban community was considered as an exposure variable, whereas seropositivity for Chagas disease was considered as an outcome variableResultsThe results showed that 9.26% of the 702 volunteers evaluated and 3.50% of women of childbearing potential were seropositive. The prevalence of Chagas disease in urban communities was 6.41 times higher than in rural communities.Interpretation & conclusionsThe seroprevalence found in the moqoit community is higher than that estimated for the general population of the same region, with greater impact in the urban area than in the rural area. The decline of vector transmission in the rural area could be related to the conservation of ancestral practices and the expansion of the agricultural model.

The sensitivity of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for Chagas disease is not great enough for their single use. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the performance of two RDTs for Chagas disease, used simultaneously. Two different RDTs (A and B) were performed in 64 and 42 serum samples that were negative and positive, respectively, by conventional serological techniques. Validity and reliability of both tests were evaluated individually and simultaneously. Sensitivity was 90.5% and 97.6%, and specificity was 100% and 93.8%, for RDT A and B, respectively. The κ statistic was 0.96. When both RDTs were used simultaneously, sensitivity was 97.4%, specificity was 100% and the discordance percentage 6.6%. The combined use of two RDTs with serum samples is an acceptable application in healthcare centres.

Chagas´Disease (CD) is endemic en Chaco Región. It is unknown the seroprevalence in population older than 14 years old from rural Chaco areas of Santa Fe Province. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of and socio-environmental factors associated with CD in inhabitants14 years old of rural Chaco areas of Santa Fe, Argentina.A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2010 and 2015, in people over 14 years old, in the rural districts of the Chaco region, in the North of Santa Fe Province, Argentina. Blood serology for Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies based on two serological tests, and a third in case of discordance, were analized. Semi-structured survey was administered. Association between CD and socio-environmental variables were analyzed using prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals.A total of 749 individual were analyzed, with an average of 29.5 years. The seroprevalence was 24.70% (26.69% in women and 20.26% in men). Socio-environmental variables showed association with Trypanosoma cruzi seropositive. The seroprevalence was 7.83 times higher in the children of mothers who had not reached secondary education.Chaco region of Santa Fe is endemic for CD, as well as other provinces of the Region. The low level of education is the more important conditioning for this endemic disease.Introducción. La Enfermedad de Chagas (ECh) es endémica en la Región del Chaco. Se desconoce su seroprevalencia en mayores de 14 años de áreas rurales del Chaco Santafesino. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar la seroprevalencia de ECh en mayores de 14 años de áreas rurales del Chaco Santafesino, Argentina, y su asociación con factores de riesgo epidemiológico.Se realizó un estudio transversal entre 2010 y 2015, en personas mayores de 14 años, los distritos rurales de la región del Chaco, en el Norte de la Provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina. Se determinó la prevalencia de anticuerpos contra Trypanosoma cruzi mediante dos pruebas serológicas, realizando una tercera en caso de discordancia. Se realizaron encuestas semiestructuradas sobre variables socioambientales. Se analizó la asociación entre ECh y variables socioambientales mediante la razón de prevalencias con un intervalo de confianza del 95%.Se estudió una muestra de 749 personas, con una media de edad de 29,5 años. La seroprevalencia fue de 24,70% (26,69% en mujeres y 20,26% en hombres). Se halló asociación estadísticamente significativa entre las variables socioambientales y la seroprevalencia. La seroprevalencia fue 7,83 veces mayor en los hijos de madres que no habían alcanzado la educación secundaria.La región del Chaco Santafesino es endémica para Chagas, al igual que otras provincias de la Región. El bajo nivel de instrucción materno es el condicionante más importante para esta endemia

The use of chimeric molecules fusing several antigenic determinants is a promising strategy for the development of low-cost, standardized and reliable kits to determine specific antibodies. In this study, we designed and assessed a novel recombinant chimera that complements the performance of our previously developed chimera, CP1 [FRA and SAPA antigens (Ags)], to diagnose chronic Chagas disease. The new chimeric protein, named CP3, is composed of MAP, TcD and TSSAII/V/VI antigenic determinants. We compared the performance of both chimeric Ags using a panel of 67 Trypanosoma cruzi-reactive sera and 67 non-reactive ones. The sensitivity of CP3 vs CP1 was 100 and 90.2%, and specificity was 92.5 and 100%, respectively. The mixture of CP1 + CP3 achieved 100% of sensitivity and specificity. More importantly, an additional subset of 17 sera from patients with discordant results of conventional serological methods was analysed; the CP1 + CP3 mixture allowed us to accurately classify 14 of them with respect to IIF, the usual technique used in most of the reference centres. These results show an improved performance of the CP1 + CP3 mixture in comparison with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect haemagglutination commercial assays.

Introducción. La Enfermedad de Chagas (ECh) es endémica en la Región del Chaco. Se desconoce su seroprevalencia en mayores de 14 años de áreas rurales del Chaco Santafesino. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar la seroprevalencia de ECh en mayores de 14 años de áreas rurales del Chaco Santafesino, Argentina, y su asociación con factores de riesgo epidemiológico. Métodos. Se realizó un estudio transversal entre 2010 y 2015, en personas mayores de 14 años, los distritos rurales de la región del Chaco, en el Norte de la Provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina. Se determinó la prevalencia de anticuerpos contra Trypanosoma cruzi mediante dos pruebas serológicas, realizando una tercera en caso de discordancia. Se realizaron encuestas semiestructuradas sobre variables socioambientales. Se analizó la asociación entre ECh y variables socioambientales mediante la razón de prevalencias con un intervalo de confianza del 95%. Resultados. Se estudió una muestra de 749 personas, con una media de edad de 29,5 años. La seroprevalencia fue de 24,70% (26,69% en mujeres y 20,26% en hombres). Se halló asociación estadísticamente significativa entre las variables socioambientales y la seroprevalencia. La seroprevalencia fue 7,83 veces mayor en los hijos de madres que no habían alcanzado la educación secundaria. Conclusiones. La región del Chaco Santafesino es endémica para Chagas, al igual que otras provincias de la Región. El bajo nivel de instrucción materno es el condicionante más importante para esta endemia.

We investigated the relationship between potentially pathogenic antibodies against a Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal protein (P2β) and the evolution of Chagas disease and the effect of trypanocidal treatment on these variables. Seventy-eight patients with chronic Chagas disease who were followed-up for more than 20 years were divided into three groups: 30 asymptomatic persons undergoing specific treatment (group A), 37 asymptomatic persons not undergoing specific treatment (group B), and 11 patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) who were not treated. Five patients in group B showed evolution to myocardial abnormalities. Among persons with CCC, six showed no changes; the remaining persons showed progression of cardiac involvement. Levels of antibodies to P2β in persons in group A decreased from their initial values. This finding was not observed in persons in groups B and C. Comparisons at the end of the follow-up showed lower amounts of antibodies to P2β in groups A and C. These findings support the benefits of specific treatment during chronic infection. Fil: Fabbro, Diana Lucrecia. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina Fil: Olivera, Veronica Soledad. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina Fil: Bizai, María Laura. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina Fil: Denner, Susana. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina Fil: Diez, Cristina Noemí. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina Fil: Marcipar, Iván Sergio. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; Argentina Fil: Streiger, Mirtha. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina Fil: Arias, Enrique. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina Fil: del Barco, Mónica. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina Fil: Mendicino, Diego. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina Fil: Bottasso, Oscar Adelmo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Invest.sobre Endemias Nacionales; Argentina