How urbanization affects the epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases

Neiderud, Carl-Johan

Poor housing and overcrowding can also contribute to vector proliferation. One example of this is for Chagas disease, which is a parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. An important mode of transmission is vectorial infected bites of triatomine bugs. Living in close contact to domestic animals and poor hygienic habits have also been identified as risk factors (25) . Chagas disease affects an estimated 8 million people every year, and is an important health challenge in Latin America. In recent decades, progress has been made to reduce the burden of disease, by vector control, screening blood donors, improved housing, and epidemiological surveillance. Chagas disease is a growing health problem in non-endemic areas because of population movements (26) . It is estimated that 300,000 individuals in the United States are infected (27) and the most affected country in Europe, Spain, is thought to have 45,000Á67,000 cases (28) . The example of Chagas disease shows that physicians who practice in countries where the disease is not present must be aware of the travel history of the patient to connect the potential symptoms to the correct diagnosis.