CHAGAS DISEASE: CLINICAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW CASES IN WESTERN BAHIA.

Widely distributed in Latin America Chagas disease represents a public health issue in Brazil. In the context of the state of Bahia the disease has a significant number of infections with most of its municipalities classified as high risk for transmission. Despite having diverse clinical presentations with known high morbidity and mortality for chronic forms the cases that do not fit the definition of acute infection are not notified in the Information System of Notifiable Diseases for epidemiological surveillance purposes. In this study clinical and epidemiological aspects of chronic patients seen at a public reference center in the region of Barreiras (Ba) were evaluated. A retrospective cross-sectional cohort study was conducted analyzing the data collected from medical records for the period of 2017 and 2018. A significant incidence of chronic patients was verified predominantly urban female and 40 to 50 years old. This study may help in the development of prevention actions and active search for new patients as well as in the support and monitoring of chronic patients.