ABSTRACT
Chagas Disease (CD), a chronic infection caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, is a Neglected Tropical Disease endemic to Latin America. With a re-emergence in Venezuela during the past two decades, the spread of CD has proved susceptible to, and inhibitable by a digital, real-time surveillance system effectuated by Citizen Scientists in communities throughout the country. The #TraeTuChipo (#BringYourKissingBug) campaign implemented in January 2020, has served as such a strategy counting on community engagement to define the current ecological distribution of CD vectors despite the absence of a functional national surveillance program. This pilot campaign collected data through online surveys, social media platforms, and/or telephone text messages. A total of 79 triatomine bugs were reported from eighteen Venezuelan states; 67 bugs were identified as Panstrongylus geniculatus, 1 as Rhodnius pictipes, 1 as Triatoma dimidiata, and 10 as Triatoma maculata. We analyzed 8 triatomine feces samples spotted from 4 Panstrongylus geniculatus which were confirmed positive by qPCR for T. cruzi . Further molecular characterization of discrete typing units (DTUs), revealed that all samples contained TcI, the most highly diverse and broadly distributed strain of T. cruzi. Moreover, analysis of the mitochondrial 12S gene revealed Myotis keaysi, Homo sapiens, and Gallus gallus as the main triatomine feeding sources. This study highlights a novel Citizen Science approach which may help improve the surveillance systems for CD in endemic countries.
ABSTRACT
Las reacciones adversas a los medicamentos que ocasionan el ingreso hospitalario o la prolongación del tiempo de estancia hospitalaria tienen un gran impacto sanitario y económico; a pesar de esto, se conoce que existe una marcada subnotificación de estos eventos, en parte debido a la inexistencia de programas propios de las instituciones para realizar la notificación o a la falta de información de los profesionales de la salud acerca de la existencia de los mismos y la importancia de notificar. El Hospital Universitario de Caracas es una institución de conocido renombre y experticia en el área de la salud y tampoco escapa de esta problemática. Durante la investigación se pudo observar la subnotificación que se produce en el mismo y el inadecuado funcionamiento del programa de farmacovigilancia establecido en la institución, a través de la aplicación de encuestas y la realización de entrevistas al personal que labora en la misma. Finalmente se presenta una propuesta con los lineamientos básicos para la reactivación de dicho programa.
Adverse drug reactions causing hospital income or the prolongation of the hospital stay, have a great economic and sanitary impact; despite this, it is widely know that these events aren't notified or are sub notified to Health Authorities, in some cases this could be a consequence of the lack of pharmacovigilance programs in Hospitals or other institutions to do the notification, or could be also because an inadequate information of health care professionals about the existence of these programs or the importance of the notification. The "Hospital Universitario de Caracas" is a reputable institution related to health care that doesn't escape to these problems. Through the investigation we could notice the sub notification that occurs therein and the malfunction of the pharmacovigilance program that exists in this Institution, all this information was obtained through interviews and questionnaires conducted to the staff of the hospital. Finally a proposal with the basic guidelines to improve the program is presented.
