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Chagas disease: a new worldwide challenge

Nature volume 465, pages S6–S7 (2010)Cite this article

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Endemic Chagas disease began as a neglected disease of poor, rural and forgotten populations. Its spread from Latin America to non-endemic countries is a new worldwide challenge, say José Rodrigues Coura and Pedro Albajar Viñas.

Human American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), along with its causal agent Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi, which was discovered by Carlos Chagas1 in Brazil in 1909, has existed in the Americas as an enzootic disease (that is, a disease of wild animals) for millions of years. Vectors mainly from the genera Triatoma, Panstrongylus and Rhodnius (Hemiptera; Reduviidae), but also from 12 other genera, have been transmitting the disease among animals for almost 10 million years. More than 150 species of triatomines (the disease vectors) and >100 species of mammals, mostly wild species, maintain T. cruzi infection in nature. The distribution of vectors and wild reservoirs of T. cruzi in the Americas extends from the United States to Argentina and Chile (latitudes 46° N to 46° S; see Who, how, what and where? on page S8). In total, 22 countries are endemic for enzootic disease in the Americas.

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Figure 1: Acute and chronic phases of Chagas disease.

J. R. COURA

Figure 2

J. R. COURA

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. José Rodrigues Coura (MD, PhD) is emeritus professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and head and chairman of the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Ministry of Health, Brazil coura@ioc.fiocruz.br,

    José Rodrigues Coura

  2. Pedro Albajar Viñas (MD, PhD) is medical officer and coordinator of the WHO/Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD)/Chagas Disease Programme albajarvinasp@who.int,

    Pedro Albajar Viñas

Authors
  1. José Rodrigues Coura
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  2. Pedro Albajar Viñas
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Coura, J., Viñas, P. Chagas disease: a new worldwide challenge. Nature 465 (Suppl 7301), S6–S7 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09221

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