Between 6 and 8 million people worldwide suffer from it, but 75 million individuals are at risk of infection. Cases also in Europe (and in Italy)
It is estimated that between 6 and 8 million people worldwide suffer from Chagas disease due to a chronic infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi transmitted to man through different modalities (the best known is the sting of an insect of the Triatominae family). But, due to thelarge number of people who do not receive a diagnosis or timely treatmentit is estimated that 75 million people they are at risk of infection reports Clara Alves, the humanitarian affairs manager in Brazil of Médecins Sans Frontières whose operators have been involved in the fight against Chagas since 1999, with specific programs for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease in various Latin American countries.
Although it is endemic in some areas of the world, Chagas disease is now also present in Europe (and Italy) where it mainly affects migrants. Shining the spotlight on this infectious disease, potentially life-threateningthe goal of World Chagas Disease Day, which falls on April 14.
Neglected or global disease?
According to the World Health Organization, Chagas disease is part of a list of 20 neglected tropical diseases that is, forgotten, which almost exclusively affect people living in extreme poverty in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Neglected diseases do not receive the necessary attention from the pharmaceutical industry, research institutes and bodies responsible for the development of new medical technologies – says Alves– . So, these patients they become invisible and are ignored by global public health policies. Because of this there are no vaccinesI am l
imitated diagnostic tools not cure for many of these deadly and debilitating diseases are often not available or accessible. The MSF representative then adds: Although the disease is endemic in specific areas of the world, cases are also reported in high-income countries, as people travel in other parts of the world.
what is
It is an infectious disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma Cruzi – explains the MSF representative -. In Latin America better known as disease transmitted by an insect called “barbeiro” in Brazil and “vinchuca” in the rest of the continent. The insect present in poor areas where the vulnerable population lives in precarious housing, usually made of wood, dried mud and covered with leaves. And this type of home creates many cavities and crevices where insects can hide.
How is it transmitted?
Overnight the insects come out of the cracks and they sting people thus transmitting the disease. This the best known form of transmissionma no longer the most common needs Alves.
This mode of contagion, in fact, is slightly decreasing thanks to the positive impact of health promotion campaigns and the improvement of the living conditions of the population (for example: use of mosquito nets).
They have become more frequent other forms of contagionespecially the consumption of food infected with the parasite – reports the representative of Doctors Without Borders – . A’another form of transmission less known too from mother to sonduring pregnancy or childbirth (more than one million infected women of childbearing age and more than 8,500 children born with Chagas disease each year, ndr) ma including through blood transfusions and organ transplants when adequate controls are not carried out.
Telltale symptoms of the disease
Are there any “indicator” symptoms that make one suspect the presence of the disease? Chagas disease considered “silent” because most of the people who are affected by it shows no symptoms during the early stages, making early diagnosis and treatment more difficult – clarifies Alves – . Once a person is infected, it may take years, or even decades, for the person to show any obvious symptoms of the disease. Over time, the disease becomes chronic e they can arise serious cardiac complications and irreversible damage to the digestive system which can lead to sudden death or heart failure.
Most patients in the chronic phase but few countries have an efficient system to track them.
Treatments available
If the disease is diagnosed in its early stages, the cure rate can be up to 100 percent – underlined the MSF representative -. There is treatment and even a cure when the disease is caught early. I drugs used by Chagas patients were first developed in the 1960s and 1970s for another disease: they have proven effective against Chagas and are still used today; but they can be very toxic and have various side effects, so patients should use the latest generation drugs, but unfortunately this is not the case. The reasons? Alves explains: Chagas disease affects vulnerable people – and not high-income patients – the pharmaceutical industry has no interest in investing in the development of new treatments. It would be important to have short, safe and effective oral treatment cycles for early and advanced stage infections and a greater commitment to research for improve diagnostic tools and oral treatments against this disease concludes Alves.
April 14, 2023 (change April 14, 2023 | 06:44)
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