The National Serologic Survey (CNPq - SUCAM) for Chagfis'disease in Santa Catarina revealed 1,3% of positive results in 74.000 serum samples. The method employed was indirect immunofluorescence in filter paper. Fifteen cities have shown high prevalence (5,4% to 41,3%). In the present investigation the blood samples were obtained in 9 cities by venous punction of 222 persons: 140 from people serologicaly positive, 58 negative in the National Survey as well as 24 other persons in which the reaction was performed for the first time The serologic test (indirect immunofluorescence, indirect hemagglutination, direct agghxtination with and without 2-ME and complement fíxation) carried out in three diferent laboratories detected 220 negative and only 2 positive sera. This result was confirmed by specific epidemiological aspects related to Chagas' disease such as housing conditions and absence of vectors. Those data are in disagreement with the results found in National Serologic Survey and confirms the previous knowledge about the inexistence of domiciliary transmission of Chagas' disease in Santa Catarina.
Chagas' disease; Sorological survey; Epidemiology; Triatomids