Systematic neonatal screening for congenital Chagas disease in Northeast Brazil: prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the Southern region of Sergipe.

Introduction: Chagas disease is caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, being one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the Americas with an estimated six to seven million infected people worldwide. In Brazil, the improvement in vector control and blood donor screening has evidenced the important epidemiological role of congenital transmission of Chagas disease.

Methods: A serological survey for Chagas disease was performed in 3,952 newborns in the southern region of Sergipe using paper filter disks of dried blood samples.