Global chagas coalitions members contributions
Chagas disease is named after the Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas, who discovered the disease in 1909. It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to animals and people by insect vectors and is found only in the Americas (mainly, in rural areas of Latin America where pover...ty is widespread). Chagas disease (T. cruzi infection) is also referred to as American trypanosomiasis
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For the molecular diagnosis of Chagas disease by real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction), optimization of diagnostic accuracy is desirable. The detection limit of real-time PCR assays for the diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi in human serum is affected by various influences including the choice of th...e nucleic acid extraction assay. In this study, three nucleic acid extraction assays were compared regarding their influence on the sensitivity of a T. cruzi-specific real-time PCR with 62 reference sera containing T. cruzi target DNA (deoxyribonucleotide acid). More than 95% of the positive sera were correctly identified after all three nucleic acid extraction strategies with a detection rate ranging from 96.8% (60/62) for the worst assay to 100% (62/62) for the best one. A matched pairs analysis for the comparison of the cycle threshold (Ct) values obtained with the 59 reference samples with positive real-time PCR results after all three nucleic acid extraction schemes indicated differences in a range of about 3 Ct steps. Summarized, all three compared nucleic acid extraction schemes were basically suitable for T. cruzi-specific PCR from serum with some minor differences. However, in the case of low quantities of circulating parasite DNA in the serum of a patient with Chagas disease, even minor effects can make a difference in the individual diagnosis.
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To support its R&D activities on Chagas disease, DNDi launched the Chagas Clinical Research Platform (CCRP). The platform brings together partners, experts, and stakeholders to provide support for evaluation and development of new treatments for Chagas disease. The patient-centred platform aims to f...acilitate clinical research, provide a forum for technical discussions, develop a critical mass of expertise, and strengthen institutional research capacities. In addition, it identifies and reviews priority needs, works towards standardization of methodology to assess drug efficacy and reviews alternatives for using current approved drugs (new schemes, doses, combination) and special scenarios (resistance).
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Die Infektion wird durch nachtaktive, blutsaugende Raubwanzen übertragen. Während des Blutsaugens scheiden die infizierten Wanzen Trypanosomen aus, die Bindehaut, Schleimhäute, Abschürfungen und Hautverletzungen einschließlich der Bißwunde kontaminieren können. Die Übertragung kann auch durc...h Bluttransfusion erfolgen, wenn das Blut von einem infizierten Spender stammt. Auch kongenitale Infektionen, verursacht durch Parasiten, die während der Schwangerschaft die Plazenta passieren, sind möglich. Der Erreger, Trypanosoma cruzi, infiziert viele Spezies.
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Two adjectives raise an issue for communicators working on Chagas disease (CD): “invisible and silent”. Two adjectives that can be ascribed to other neglected tropical diseases (NTD), but which are part of the essence of CD. Bringing CD out of its situation of neglect and oblivion is a mission e...ntrusted mainly to the world of communication as well as of science, politics and financial resources. However, communication has not always been considered among the priorities in the approach to the disease, except in valuable exceptions, some of which we have seen in the preceding article.
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Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease cause by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. It is spread mostly by insects known as Triatominae, or kissing bugs.
If left untreated, Chagas can cause serious problems to the heart and digestive system.
About six to seven million people worldwide, mostly in Latin America, are estimated to be infected with
Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease (WHO data from 2021). Chagas disease is
found mainly in endemic areas of 21 Latin American countries. Chagas disease was once entirely
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confined to rural areas but in the last decades, due to population movements, most infected people live
in urban settings and the disease has spread to other continents. The burden of disease is due to its
chronic progression with people still suffering years later after initial infection.
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Info Chagas
What do we need to know abaout Chagas Disease? What is Chagas Disease?
How Chagas disease is transmitted video.
Video available with spanish sub title
The BeatChagas platform is a tool developed by the Technical Group of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) for Chagas Disease (TG6-IEC Chagas), part of the Chagas Disease Control Program by the World Health Organization (WHO). The purpose of this platform is to share information about the... TG6-IEC group’s activities.
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Chagas disease (CD) is endemic in the Americas, being present in 21 countries, where it affects about 6 million
people.(1) With such relevant numbers of people affected and disability adjusted life years lost, CD is a poverty-related
and poverty-promoting disease.
Although data describe a relevan...t ongoing public health problem for the American continent, significant results
in the interruption of transmission has been achieved by coordinated multi-country programs. In particular, the
Southern Cone Initiative (SCI), officially formalised in November 1991 by the Ministers of Health of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, has shown how a well-designed control program can significantly reduce
CD transmission.(2) Before this initiative, in these countries, there were 11 million infected persons and 50 million at
risk, 62% of the infected individuals of the whole continent.
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Human African trypanosomiasis is caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in West and Central Africa and by T. brucei rhodesiense in East Africa; both species are endemic in Uganda. Trypanosoma brucei gambiense accounts for 98% of all cases of African trypanosomiasis, and T. brucei rhodesiense account...s for 2%. African trypanosomiasis has been targeted for eradication by the World Health Organization (WHO) and, as a result of control efforts, there has been a dramatic decrease (> 95%) in the number of reported cases worldwide.
Professional version as well as patient education
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Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a disease caused by parasitic worms that require two hosts: humans and certain species of snails. There are two forms of the disease, namely, intestinal schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum, and urogenital schistosomiasis, cause...d by S. haematobium. There are less common schistosome species in some parts of the world, e.g. S. mekongi and S. intercalatum. Schistosomiasis ranks second only to malaria as the most common parasitic disease worldwide.
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Progress towards achieving the Roadmap targets for control and elimination of the Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Chikungunya: WHO fact sheet on Chikungunya providing key facts and information on scope of the problem, who is at risk, prevention, WHO response.
Maps
Maximum point prevalence of schistosome inceftion and location of S. mansoni and S. haematobium surveys.
After 100 years of chemotherapy with impractical and toxic drugs, an oral cure for human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is available: Fexinidazole. In this case, we review the history of drug discovery for HAT with special emphasis on the discovery, pre-clinical development, and operational challenge...s of the clinical trials of fexinidazole. The screening of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) HAT-library by the Swiss TPH had singled out fexinidazole, originally developed by Hoechst (now Sanofi), as the most promising of a series of over 800 nitroimidazoles and related molecules. In cell culture, fexinidazole has an IC50 of around 1 µM against Trypanosoma brucei and is more than 100-fold less toxic to mammalian cells. In the mouse model, fexinidazole cures both the first, haemolymphatic, and the second, meningoencephalitic stage of the infection, the latter at 100 mg/kg twice daily for 5 days. In patients, the clinical trials managed by DNDi and supported by Swiss TPH mainly conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo demonstrated that oral fexinidazole is safe and effective for use against first- and early second-stage sleeping sickness. Based on the positive opinion issued by the European Medicines Agency in 2018, the WHO has released new interim guidelines for the treatment of HAT including fexinidazole as the new therapy for first-stage and non-severe second-stage sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (gHAT). This greatly facilitates the diagnosis and treatment algorithm for gHAT, increasing the attainable coverage and paving the way towards the envisaged goal of zero transmission by 2030.
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DNDi is now striving to make fexinidazole available to the majority of people who have T.b. gambiense sleeping sickness. We are supporting a three-year access and pharmacovigilance study that began in 2020 and have so far carried out in-country training of relevant staff in 250 hospitals and... health centres in T.b. gambiense-endemic countries; and updated national treatment and pharmacovigilance guidelines in Angola, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, and Chad.
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Infographic
Disease: Infection is widespread in poor communities, 221 million people affected worldwide...
Affected Populations: Women, Children...
Prevention and Control: WHO recommends praziquantel for treatment of all forms of schistosomiasis...
