The underreported and undertreated condition known as Chagas disease is
a health threat similar to the early years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic,
according to an editorial by doctors writing for the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Chagas disease — which is mostly found in Latin America but also occurs
in southern Texas — is most commonly transmitted by so-called ''Kissing Bugs''
a subfamily of blood-sucking insects also known as assassin bugs that
like to target the lip region (hence the name). The bugs carry a
parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, which is what causes Chagas
disease. The parasite is transmitted via the bugs' feces: the insects
defecate while they are feeding, allowing the parasite to move on to its
new host.
The disease can also be transmitted via blood transfusion, organ transplant or from mother to child during pregnancy.
Once infected, Chagas disease (also known as American trypanosomiasis)
can go undetected for years, or even decades, during which time it can
cause damage to the heart, intestines and esophagus. Cardiomyopathy and
arrhythmias caused by the damage can eventually prove fatal. In some
cases, a Chagas-enlarged heart or intestines can actually explode.
According to the PLoS editorial, about 10 million people are currently
living with Chagas disease, making it one of the most common neglected
tropical diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean. It kills about
20,000 people worldwide every year. Lead author Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of
the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine
in Houston, warns that the disease is spreading globally and there may
be between 300,000 and 1 million cases in the U.S.
The doctors' comparison to the first two decades of the HIV/AIDS
pandemic comes from several factors: both diseases disproportionately
affect people living in poverty; the cost for treatment is incredibly
high; both diseases are chronic conditions; and access to health care
for people infected with Chagas remains low, as it was initially with
HIV/AIDS.
"It's a forgotten disease among forgotten people," Hotez told The Star.
"Can you imagine having 300,000 people in the suburbs with a serious
case of heart disease caused by a bug? We wouldn't tolerate it as a
society, but because it's happening to an indigenous people, we're
silent."
Chagas is treatable, but only within the early stages of the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
the early stage of Chagas occurs immediately after infection and may
have mild or no symptoms at all. Symptoms during this stage can include
fever, malaise, and a swelling of one eye. According to Doctors Without
Borders, many countries with high levels of Chagas face shortages of
benznidazole, the primary drug used to treat the disease.
The American Red Cross routinely screens blood donations for Chagas,
but screening policies and requirements vary by location and
organization. Texas does not require screening, nor are physicians in
the state required to report instances of the disease, according to Wired.
The CDC has targeted Chagas disease and four other neglected parasitic diseases for public health action.
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