Chagas seroepidemiology in school children of Jujuy.

Chagas disease constitutes the main zoonosis in the province of Jujuy, Arge ntina, where it is one of the most important issues in public health. The p urpose of this paper is to analyze the results of a serologic evaluation ca rried out for a seven-year period among schoolchildren in the Jujenean capi tal city. The population under study consisted of all seventh grade student s of all schools in San Salvador de Jujuy. They were classified into three socioeconomic levels: High, Medium and Low levels. Indirect hemagglutinatio n and immunofluorescence tests were performed. Percentages of seroprevalenc e were determined by sex, age group, and socioeconomic level. To analyze an d check results, the following tests were applied: ANOVA, Tukey's and chi-s quare test. General prevalence was 1.95% with inter-annual statistically no n-significant variations. Statistically significant variations were found a mong: 1) sex, where the feminine sex exhibited higher seroprevalence; 2) ag e groups, in which 12-year-olds showed higher seroprevalence; 3) socioecono mic levels, where seroprevalence increased as socioeconomic level decreased . Chagasic seroprevalence in children populations is an indicator that allo ws assessing both transmission risks in the community and the efficiency of preventive measures to control the vector. Data resulting from this study would indicate: 1) an adequate control both of non-vectorial transmission a s well as of the vector, since no temporal variation was recorded in seropr evalence in the age-group analyzed; 2) higher seroprevalence in children be longing to a lower socioeconomic level, probably due to migrations of alrea dy-infected mothers coming from neighboring endemic, less epidemiologically controlled areas.