Chagas Disease | 30 Apr 2024
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) observed World Chagas Disease Day on 14th April 2024 to raise awareness about the little-known disease that affects millions of people, especially in Latin America.
- The theme for the year 2024 is “ Tackling Chagas Disease: Detect Early and Care for Life”.
- Chagas disease also known as "silent or silenced disease", is a communicable parasitic disease that infects 6-7 million people and claims around 12,000 lives every year worldwide, according to WHO.
- It is caused by the protozoan parasite named Trypanosoma cruzi.
- It can also be contracted through congenital transmission, blood transfusions, organ transplantation, consumption of uncooked food contaminated with faecal matter of infected bugs, or accidental laboratory exposure.
- It cannot propagate by casual contact with infected humans or animals.
- The disease manifests as fever, headaches, rashes, inflammatory nodules, nausea or diarrhoea, and muscle or abdominal pain.
- There are currently no vaccines available for Chagas disease, but antiparasitic medicines Benznidazole and Nifurtimox can treat the disease.
