Urban Chagas Disease in San Juan. Diagnosis, Review, and Proposal for an Integrated Attack System

pp 480-487

Abstract

The city of San Juan, Argentina, located in a poorly irrigated oasis, has always been an area with high prevalence of Chagas disease. Ecological, social, and environmental changes in the pathogen complex indicate that Triatoma infestans, the vector of the disease, is moving from rural areas –its traditional habitat– to urban zones. This paper discusses the procedures used to quantify this phenomenon, as well as the techniques of cartographic representation. After analyzing geographical and historical issues of the problem, the current link between the kissing bugs and the doves is examined. Doves are not capable of hosting the agent Trypanosoma cruzi in their bloodstream; they are rather reservoirs that facilitate the vector’s transportation. To conclude, the problem should be tackled through an integrated strategy that considers the pathogen complex with transdisciplinary criteria.