Systematic Review of the Epidemiology of Chagas Disease in the Americas: a Call for Standardized Reporting of Chagas Disease Prevalence

Purpose of Review: Estimates of Chagas disease (CD) seroprevalence in the Americas vary greatly. We lack an accurate representation of the state of the disease in this region for various reasons including intranational variability in prevalence and a lack of standardized diagnostic approaches. The goal of this review is to generate an estimate of CD burden in the Americas, by performing a systematic review of recent prevalence papers published after major vector control initiatives. Recent Findings: Community-based CD screening programs that focus on a third- to fourth-level administrative division basis are more representative of the prevalence of CD in a particular region of a country. Summary: We evaluate T. cruzi seroprevalence at a subnational level in the Americas with information published from 2004 to 2018 and discuss the context behind the heavy variation in CD prevalence. We also suggest a solution for standardization of data reporting for future publications.