HIV- Trypanosoma cruzi (T.cruzi) coinfection (Chagas disease?s agent) in intravenous drug users in Buenos Aires, Argentina

L. MARTINEZ PERALTA, G. DOLCINI, M. SEGURA, A.M. DE RISSIO, M.A. PANDO, G. ANDREANI, M.M. AVILA, M.C. WEISSENBACHER.

Toulon, Francia

Congreso; 15th ISHEID (International Symposium on HIV and Emerging Infectious Diseases). 28-30 de Mayo de 2008.; 2008

Objective: The prevalence of Tryponosomo cruzi (Icruz!) in blood donors from Buenos Aires city is 3%. An exacerbation of Chagas´ disease in adult AIDS patients, as well as of congenital Chagas in HIV infected children, was already described in Argentina and Brazil. The aim of this study was to detect HIV-Icruz; coinfection in at-risk HIV infection populations Methods: A total of 857 serum samples from 3 seroprevalence cross sectional studies of HIV; HBV; HCV; and HTLVs,conducted in Buenos Aires city (between 2001 and 2004), were tested for Icruzi infection. A hundred and forty two were injection drug users (tDUs), 419 were individuals consulting about sexuaBy transmitted infections (STls), and 292 were men who have sex with men (MSM). Informed consent was obtained from all participants. T.cruzi infection was diagnosed using EIA, Hemagglutination and Indirect immunofluorescence tests. Results: At-risk population HIV+ (%T.cruzi) HIV-+ N (% T.cruzi) IDUs 65 (9.2) 77 (2.6) STls 51 (3.9) 368 (1.6) MSM 124 (1.6) 168 (O) The higher risk of being coinfected with Icruz; in HIV infected IDUs was also shown for HCV, HBV and/or HTLV-II.Of note, IDUs had the lowest sociallevel, with about 68% unemployment. Conclusion: Injection drug use could also be a transmission route for T. cruzi infection. Previous studies conducted in Buenos Aires in 1990 in IDUs showed 1% prevalence of T.cruzi, showing the important dynamics of the epidemics, based on significant migrations from Icruz; endemic zones (northern provinces of Argentina and northern neighbor countries) to the main urbain urban centers of Argentina.