Outbreak of acute Chagas disease associated with oral transmission in the Rio Negro region, Brazilian Amazon

• Main Authors: Rita de Cássia de Souza-Lima, Maria das Graças Vale Barbosa, José Rodrigues Coura, Ana Ruth Lima Arcanjo, Adelaide da Silva Nascimento, João Marcos Bemfica Barbosa Ferreira, Laylah Kelre Magalhães, Bernardino Cláudio de Albuquerque, Guilherme Alfredo Novelino Araújo, Jorge Augusto de Oliveira Guerra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2013-10-01
• Series: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Subjects: Chagas disease; Acute outbreak; State of Amazonas
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822013005000011

Introduction Chagas disease is considered as emerging in the Brazilian Amazon, usually occurring in acute outbreaks. Methods We describe 17 cases of acute Chagas disease in Rio Negro, Amazonas. Results There were 15 males (average age, 31.3 years), all positive for Trypanosoma cruzi in fresh blood smear examination, and 14 positive by xenodiagnosis and PCR. The top clinical manifestations were fever, asthenia, abdominal pain, and palpitations. Electrocardiograms featured low-voltage QRS, anterosuperior divisional block, and right bundle branch block associated with anterosuperior divisional block. Conclusions All patients had consumed açaí products from Monte Alegre in the rural area around Santa Izabel do Rio Negro, Brazil.