These are some of the regulations successful recruits have to abide by
Chagas disease, which is otherwise known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite.
It is commonly referred to as the "silent illness" or the "sleeping sickness," because once infected a person can carry the parasite for decades before serious symptoms develop.
For years, many communities have been plagued by Chagas disease because not enough has been done to develop proper diagnostic tactics or treatments.
Check out this gallery to learn all about Chagas disease.
Chagas disease, which is otherwise known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite.
It is carried by kissing bugs (scientific name triatomine), which crawl out at night and bite exposed human skin in order to feed on the victim’s blood.
The bugs then urinate and/or defecate near the site of the bite, so that when the victim scratches the area, the parasite enters their bloodstream.
Carriers of this nasty disease can present with a number of symptoms varying in severity. It disproportionately affects poor communities all over the world.
Recent estimates put the yearly number of Chagas deaths at 10,000, and for years the disease has gone largely under the radar.
In 2022, health workers and researchers from around the world are hoping to raise awareness of Chagas disease, while at the same time reducing its prevalence.
There are reasons for these proponents of change to feel optimistic, but they are definitely dealing with a difficult beast.
Chagas disease is so threatening and destructive because it is extremely difficult to combat in terms of diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare.
Firstly, diagnosis is difficult because it requires the patient to undergo several tests in a lab staffed with knowledgeable health workers.
This is simply not possible in many areas where Chagas is rife, and it is estimated that only one in 10 people infected by the parasite is actually diagnosed.
This scenario is complicated by the fact that a person can actually carry the infection for up to 30 years, if it does not prove fatal first.
The disease is a slow burner and can even lead to heart failure years after the initial infection. It is for this reason that people sometimes refer to it as the ‘silent illness.’
To be treated with benznidazole, for example, the patient must take the drug for 60 days, and it comes with some pretty terrible side effects.
According to Oscar Ledesma Patiño, a pediatric specialist who has been working on Chagas since the 1970s, the right drug simply “doesn’t exist.”
And to make matters even worse, once a patient has gone through the ordeal of treatment, doctors can’t even tell them whether they have been cured.
As mentioned earlier, those battling to raise awareness of and eliminate Chagas are gaining impressive ground, especially considering the level of resistance they face.
In Argentina, for example, the use of resources to fight Chagas is uneven. In certain provinces, the funds allocated to combat the disease aren’t even spent.
This problem was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which put a stop to house-to-house bug spraying in some areas.
Even in areas that are well-resourced, the fight to eradicate Chagas is sometimes met with local resistance.
According to one BBC article, a social worker in Santiago del Estero had to visit an at-risk woman for two months before she’d let her fumigate her home.
There is reason to have hope, however. There is already technology out there that can be used for rapid tests that would transform the diagnostic process.
New drugs are also in the pipeline, although it may well be years before these are available for use.
At the same time, researchers are looking into the kissing bug’s microbiome in order to better understand the bacterial environment required for the transmission of the infection.
This, in turn, may enable scientists to genetically manipulate the kissing bug and therefore block the development of the parasite.
Sources: (BBC)
Chagas disease: the parasite that lurks for decades
Learn all about the "sleeping sickness"
LIFESTYLE Illness
Chagas disease, which is otherwise known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite.
It is commonly referred to as the "silent illness" or the "sleeping sickness," because once infected a person can carry the parasite for decades before serious symptoms develop.
For years, many communities have been plagued by Chagas disease because not enough has been done to develop proper diagnostic tactics or treatments.
Check out this gallery to learn all about Chagas disease.