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Low Prevalence of Antibody to Trypanosoma Cruzi in Georgia

Trypanosoma cruzi has been isolated from wild animals and triatomid bugs in five states within the southeastern United States, but human infection has not yet been reported from this area. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of antibody to T. cruzi among individuals living in southern Georgia, including patients with primary myocardial disease in the same geographic region. A total of 3,883 sera was examined by means of the complement-fixation test: 3,761 unselected sera, 54 specimens from patients with primary myocardial disease, and 68 sera from matched control patients having well-documented rheumatic, congenital, hypertensive or arteriosclerotic heart disease. No positive reactions were found among unselected sera or sera from patients with primary myocardial disease. Two weakly positive reactions were found among the 68 sera from patients with other types of heart disease. These findings indicate that the prevalence of antibody to Trypanosoma cruzi is extremely low in southern Georgia, even among patients with primary myocardial disease.

Accepted for publication March 25, 1972.

^* Present address: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 80 Barre Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29401.