Avaliação do Programa de controle da Doença de Chagas nos municípios atendidos pela Superintendência Regional de Saúde de Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais.

Abstract

The Chagas disease (DCh) has a high prevalence and morbidity and mortality in Brazil and in several countries of the Southern Cone, being referred to as one of the main neglected tropical diseases by the World Health Organization. Currently, the municipalities of Minas Gerais are in the epidemiological surveillance phase of the program to control this endemic disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the actions of the Chagas disease control program (PCDCh) in the municipalities served by the Regional Superintendence of Health of Governador Valadares (SRS/GV) in the period from 2014 to 2019. Hemipteras captured by residents during epidemiological surveillance activities were sent to the reference laboratory where they were identified as to feeding habit, the hematophages were identified in terms of evolutionary stage, species, place of capture and examined for infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. With all the information, a database was prepared and from it the overall triatomines infection rate by T. cruzi and by species, monthly seasonality, spatial distribution of the species, number of captures and infected triatomines/health micro-regions were calculated. The operation of the program was evaluated at the municipal level through a semi-structured questionnaire answered online by municipal epidemiology coordinators after contact via e-mail and telephone. A total of 1,708 insects were captured, of which 1,506 (88.2%) were triatomines, with most in adult evolutionary stage (n=1,469) and few nymphs (n=32). The species present in the region are Triatoma vitticeps, Panstrongylus megistus, Panstrongylus diasi, Rhodnius neglectus and Panstrongylus geniculatus, with the first three being the most frequently captured and dispersed throughout the study area. Most of the captures were made in the household (72.5%), especially in the second half of the year, between September and November, with an overall average infection rate of 41.5%, especially the species T. vitticeps, with an infection rate of 49.2%. All the municipalities carried out referral of triatomines, especially the micro-region of Governador Valadares. These data reinforce the need and importance of improving the actions of the PCDCh in the SRS/GV, aiming at an active and participatory epidemiological surveillance.