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.

First discovered more than 100 years ago, Chagas disease continues to affect more than six million people worldwide and is one of the most prevalent public health problems in Latin America and, increasingly, on a global scale. In the last decades, migratory patterns have spread the disease to areas ... where it was previously unknown, including the United States of America (USA), Europe and the Western Pacific region. With an estimated 75 million individuals at risk of infection, Chagas disease is becoming a global health challenge with significant social and economic burdens for the people affected by it. more