Chagas disease primary prevention

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Methods of primary prevention of Chagas disease include use of insecticides to control the vector, use of new construction compounds in building walls and roofs, and organ/blood testing prior to donation.

• There is currently no vaccine for Chagas disease. Although a vaccine was developed in the 1970s, using cellular and subcellular fractions of the parasite, development was not feasible and the vaccine was subsequently discontinued.
• The following methods are effective in the primary prevention of Chagas disease.

• Sprays and paints that contain insecticides (synthetic pyrethroids)

• In countries where Chagas disease is endemic, testing of blood donors and organ donors is mandatory.

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