Knowledge about Chagas disease and its vectors of individuals from the endemic area of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Abstract Background Chagas disease (CD) is a relevant endemic in Latin America, however, few researches is carried out about the knowledge that the population has on the subject. Objective Verify the knowledge that the population of rural origin, in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul, has about the CD and its vectors. Method The study was carried out with individuals attended at the School Hospital of Pelotas, from a semi-structured questionnaire, through which it was verified if people could identify the vectors; if individuals found “kissing-bugs” in your residence; which organs the CD affects; among other issues. The associations between the variables were analyzed by the χ2 and odds ratio (OR) tests. Results Of the 132 individuals interviewed, 58.3% identified the significant vectors linked to the variables as to reside or had resided in the municipality of Canguçu and had a chicken coop or pigsty in the peridomicile. The variables residing or having resided in a stick house (p = 0.0038, OR = 3.18) and coming from Canguçu (p = 0.004, OR = 3.4) were significant to have already found vectors in the residence. Regarding the organs that CD affects, only 25 people reported heart issues (18.9%). Conclusion This research highlights the need for educational campaigns, being carried out in a region with important CD indexes in recent studies.