Chagas disease-related mortality trends in Brazil (1996-2021)

Abstract

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a tropical disease prevalent in Latin America. It is transmitted through insect vectors and can lead to chronic heart and digestive complications, until death. The present study aimed to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics and geographic distribution of deaths related to Chagas disease in Brazil. It is a descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional, and epidemiological study. The methodological strategy involved the analysis of epidemiological bulletins provided by the Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM) from 1996 to 2021. There were 124.255 deaths reported. Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Goiás, and Bahia were the states with the highest prevalence of the reports. Males, whites, married, aged between 60 and 79 years, with a low level of education are the most affected. 68.73% of deaths occurred in a hospital. Chagas disease is still a major factor in the decline of public health in Brazil, and measures to control it and reduce the number of deaths from infection are of the utmost importance.