Chagas Disease News and Research

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Chagas (pronounced SHA-gus) disease is named after the Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas, who discovered it in 1909. It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to animals and people by insect vectors that are found only in the Americas (mainly, in rural areas of Latin America where poverty is widespread). Chagas disease (T. cruzi infection) is also referred to as American trypanosomiasis.

People can become infected in various ways. In Chagas-endemic areas, the main way is through vectorborne transmission. The insect vectors are called triatomine bugs. These blood-sucking bugs get infected by biting an infected animal or person. Once infected, the bugs pass T. cruzi parasites in their feces. The bugs are found in houses made from materials such as mud, adobe, straw, and palm thatch. During the day, the bugs hide in crevices in the walls and roofs. During the night, when the inhabitants are sleeping, the bugs emerge. Because they tend to feed on people’s faces, triatomine bugs are also known as “kissing bugs.” After they bite and ingest blood, they defecate on the person. The person can become infected if T. cruzi parasites in the bug feces enter the body through mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. The unsuspecting, sleeping person may accidentally scratch or rub the feces into the bite wound, eyes, or mouth.

Understanding T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease through studies in dogs

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite and cause of Chagas disease, is widely distributed in many vertebrate and triatomine species throughout North, Central, and South America.

4 Apr 2024

Immune cells in overdrive: Study finds unbalanced response worsens lung infections

CD4+ T cells have been highlighted in the scientific literature for the important role they play in the immune response to lung infections.

8 Feb 2024

New study may shed light on how parasite strain diversity can impact Chagas disease progression

New research from Tulane University may shed light on how parasite strain diversity can impact Chagas disease progression and severity.

5 Sep 2023

UC researchers study parasite that causes Chagas disease

Almost everything about insects called kissing bugs is revolting, from the insidious way they bite people's faces at night to drink their blood while they sleep to the way they spread disease through their poop.

23 Aug 2023

Doctors advocate fresh efforts to combat Chagas disease, a silent killer

When Maira Gutiérrez was diagnosed with Chagas disease in 1997, neither she nor her primary care physician had even heard of the malady. She discovered her illness only by chance, after participating in a Red Cross blood drive organized by her employer, Universal Studios.

22 Aug 2023

ACC Latin America 2023 brings together experts to discuss latest practices in cardiovascular care

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Asociación Costarricense de Cardiología (ASOCAR) will host ACC Latin America 2023 Together With Asociación Costarricense de Cardiología on August 11-12 in San José, Costa Rica.

27 Jul 2023

Cyanotriazole compounds can selectively and rapidly kill trypanosome parasites, study shows

Cyanotriazole compounds are fast-acting topoisomerase II poisons that can selectively and rapidly kill trypanosome parasites that cause Chagas disease and African sleeping sickness, according to a new study.

29 Jun 2023

Discovery offers an avenue for development of novel therapies for Chagas disease

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects some 8 million people worldwide. More than a third develop severe heart or digestive problems with a heightened risk of death.

5 Dec 2022

Study analyzes the risk of vector-borne Trypanosoma cruzi infection in El Salvador

One thing you might want even less than a 'kiss' from a kissing bug is its feces. Scientifically referred to as triatomine bugs, these blood-sucking insects can carry in their feces and pass on to humans the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that causes Chagas disease, a lifelong infection that takes a heavy toll on community health in poor populations, particularly in El Salvador.

16 Aug 2022

Better understanding of hybrid parasite strains could improve Chagas disease diagnosis

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have mapped how the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi forms new variants that are more effective at evading the immune system and causing disease.

10 May 2022

WHO and Sanofi sign new agreement to sustain specific efforts to eliminate NTDs

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Sanofi – one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies – have signed a new agreement for donations of medicines to sustain specific efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

16 Dec 2021

COVID Moonshot receives key funding to accelerate drug discovery efforts

The COVID Moonshot, a non-profit, open-science consortium of scientists from around the world dedicated to the discovery of globally affordable and easily-manufactured antiviral drugs against COVID-19 and future viral pandemics has received key funding of £8 million from Wellcome, on behalf of the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator.

28 Sep 2021

Specificity of serological assays against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with parasitic infections

A new study available on the pre-print server medRxiv* aims to assess the specificity of the serological assays of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among patients known to have a tissue-borne parasitic infection or those who reside in areas where the virus is endemic.

18 Aug 2021

Study: Neglecting development of therapeutics may repeat history and replicate vaccine inequality

A new policy report released today by the global non-profit research and development organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) highlights how the development of therapeutics has been relatively neglected in the global response to COVID-19 and warns that with the few treatment innovations available principally in high-income countries, we risk repeating history and replicating the vaccine inequality that has become a defining characteristic of this global pandemic.

6 Aug 2021

Zoonotic and vector-borne emerging tropical diseases pose a constant threat

A recent article published in the journal Frontiers in Tropical Diseases assessed the threat of emerging zoonotic and vector-borne tropical diseases.

26 May 2021

Scientists propose new strategies to find drugs that neutralize critical enzymes

Scientists from the University of Bath explore racemases and propose strategies for finding drugs that target these important enzymes.

26 May 2021

ANTICOV clinical trial to test new treatment for people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in Africa

The ANTICOV clinical trial, conducted in 13 African countries, has started the recruitment of participants to test a new drug combination, nitazoxanide + ciclesonide, to treat people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 before their cases become severe.

27 Apr 2021

WHO calls for equitable treatment access and health services to everyone affected by Chagas disease

Today on World Chagas Disease Day, the World Health Organization has called for comprehensive and equitable access to health care and services to everyone affected by Chagas disease.

17 Apr 2021

Chemical inhibitor can reduce SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect host cell lines

James McKerrow, MD, PhD, dean of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego, has long studied neglected tropical diseases -- chronic and disabling parasitic infections that primarily affect poor and underserved communities in developing nations.

3 Apr 2021

Scientists decipher the structure of protein found in parasites that cause neglected tropical diseases

Brazilian researchers have managed to decipher the structure of a protein found in parasites that cause neglected tropical diseases, paving the way to the development of novel medications.

8 Jan 2021