[Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in blood donors].

BACKGROUND: The American trypanosomiasis is the second parasitic disease in importance after paludism and one of the main mechanism of transmission is a blood transfusion. Our objective was to measure the effect the Tripanosoma Cruzi screening test in blood banks in the Mexican Institute of Social Security.

METHODS: Information was obtained from each unit of blood collected. The Tripanosoma cruzi prevalence was calculated only in samples with double reactivity in the blood banks.

RESULTS: Of 71 blood banks, only 26 had been doing T. Cruzi screen; after implementation of integrated services 55 are doing the screening. There were 935 donors with double reactivity to the T. Cruzi test from 230,074 samples. The national prevalence was 0.406%. The seroprevalence was 0.013% to 3.118%.

CONCLUSIONS: The screening of the T. cruzi improved the detection and increased the safety and the prevention of its transmission by blood transfusion.