摘要：Background
Chagas disease is a parasitic disease endemic to Latin America, but it has become a disease of global concern due to migration flows. Asymptomatic carriers may host the parasite for years, without knowing they are infected. The aim of this study is to assess prevalence of Chagas disease and evaluate the participants’ level of knowledge between Latin American migrants attending a community-based screening campaign.
Methods
Three community-based campaigns were performed in Alicante (Spain) in 2016, 2017 and 2018, including educational chats and blood tests for
Trypanosoma cruzi serology
. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing knowledge about the mechanisms of transmission, disease presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. People seropositive for
T. cruzi underwent diagnostic confirmation by two different tests. Results were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression and expressed as adjusted odds ratios (a
ORs), adjusting for age, sex, and time in Spain.
Results
A total of 596 participants were included in the study; 17% were aged under 18 years. Prevalence in adults was 11% [54/496; 95% confidence interval (
CI): 8.3–14.5%
