Giornale Italiano di Cardiologia
Volume 10, Issue 4, 2009, Pages 234-240

Migration flow and imported diseases: Chronic Chagasis cardiomyopathy [Flussi migratori e nuove patologie di importazione: La cardiomiopatia chagasica cronica] (Review)

Guerri-Guttenberg R.A. , Di Girolamo C. , Ciannameo A. , Milei J.*
  • a Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, Marcelo T de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • b Centro di Studi e Ricerche in Salute Internazionale e Interculturale, Dipartimento di Igiene e Medicina Preventiva, Università degli Studi, Bologna, Italy
  • c Centro di Studi e Ricerche in Salute Internazionale e Interculturale, Dipartimento di Igiene e Medicina Preventiva, Università degli Studi, Bologna, Italy
  • d Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, Marcelo T de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is transmitted by triatomine bugs in endemic regions of the American continent and less frequently by blood transfusion and congenital transmission. Immigration rates explain why the disease can be found worldwide. Non-endemic countries that receive a significant amount of Latin American immigrants should be familiarized with the disease to allow prevention, diagnosis and early treatment. In Italy, where no serologic screening is routinely performed to detect Trypanosoma cruzi in blood donations, a special consideration must be held. Accordingly, attention to congenital transmissions of the disease should be drawn considering the lack of newborn screening. Though commonly unrecognized, chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy is the most common type of chronic myocarditis in the world. © 2009 AIM Publishing Srl.

Author Keywords

Epidemiology Cardiomyopathies Chagas disease Trypanosoma cruzi

Index Keywords

Population Dynamics immigration human newborn screening chronic disease benznidazole Chagas Cardiomyopathy defibrillation disease course Triatominae Humans import disease Hispanic Review inheritance serodiagnosis infection prevention health education Emigration and Immigration Italy parasite transmission Chagas Disease population migration Trypanosoma cruzi blood transfusion nifurtimox
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-65349100557&partnerID=40&md5=fe13b869588ded6b3390cf047f8a9419
ISSN: 18276806
Original Language: Italian