Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection among at-risk blood donors in Japan

摘要

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and is endemic in Latin America. In nonendemic countries, including Japan, Chagas disease is primarily a problem in the context of transfusion transmission. Approximately 250,000 immigrants from Latin America reside in Japan, and many of those individuals serve as active blood donors. This study surveyed the seroprevalence of T. cruzi infection among at-risk blood donors in Japan, defined as those who themselves (or whose mothers) were born (or raised) in Latin America, or those with a travel history to Latin America.