Congenital Chagas disease: Updated recommendations for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of newborns and siblings, girls, women of childbearing age, and pregnant women

In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Chagas disease (CD; Trypanosoma cruzi infection) as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) [1] and included it into the global plan to combat NTDs [2]. The Target 3.3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN/SDG) aims at ending the epidemics of NTDs by 2030 [3]. Mother-to-child (congenital/connatal) transmission is currently the main mode of transmission of T. cruzi over blood transfusions and organ transplantations in vector-free areas within and outside Latin America (LA). Based on recent demonstrations that congenital transmission can be prevented [4–7], WHO has shifted its objective, in 2018, from control to elimination of congenital CD (cCD) (road map reference documents in preparation). This article summarizes the recommendations of the WHO Technical Group on “Prevention and Control of Congenital Transmission and Case Management of Congenital Infections with Trypanosoma cruzi” (WHO, Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases). It updates and completes the recommendations previously published in 2011 by the Technical Group [8]. These consensual recommendations derive from discussions at technical meetings convened by WHO in Murcia (Spain) on 9–10 October 2018 (II WHO Technical Consultation on Control of Congenital Chagas disease in nonendemic countries, and specific meetings of the Technical Group).