Screening of Vertical Transmission of Chagas Disease in the Federal District: an Action to Restructure Surveillance

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological situation of children born to mothers diagnosed with Chagas disease (CD) during prenatal care in the Federal District (FD), from 2017 to 2021. It is a quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional study based on secondary data from the State Health Department of the FD. A total of 162 women with chronic CD were identified (prevalence of 7.8/10,000 live births), resulting in 278 pregnancies and 223 live births. Of these, 54.7% were diagnosed during prenatal care, but 68.5% (n=61) reported not receiving guidance on the risk of vertical transmission. During the survey, 85.1% (n=172) of the children were tested, but only 10.8% (n=24) had been previously screened for CD. In total, 16.3% (n=33) were classified as suspected vertical transmission cases, with underreporting observed in the official system. No confirmed vertical transmission occurred during the period; however, one five-year-old child was diagnosed with the infection. The findings highlight the need to strengthen surveillance, improve timely case reporting, and ensure proper screening and follow-up for children born to mothers with CD to reduce underreporting and increase access to early diagnosis and treatment when necessary.