Clinical profile of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in a non-endemic setting: Immigration and Chagas disease in Barcelona (Spain)

Background: Chagas disease is no longer limited to Latin America and is becoming frequent in industrialised countries in Europe and United States. Methods: A descriptive study of Latin American immigrants in Barcelona attending two centres for imported diseases during a period of 3 years. The main outcome was the identification of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected individuals in a non-endemic country and the characterization of their clinical and epidemiological features. Results: A total of 489 Latin American patients participated in the study. Forty-one percent were infected by T cruzi, and the most frequent country of origin was Bolivia. All T cruzi infected patients were in chronic stages of infection. 19% of cases had cardiac disorders and 9% had digestive disorders. Conclusions: A high percentage of participants in this study were infected by T cruzi and various factors were found to be associated to the infection. It is important to improveclinical and epidemiological knowledge of T cruzi infection in non-endemic countries and to develop appropriate screening and treatment protocols in these settings. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.