Chagas Disease Statistics 100 million people are at risk 16-18 million cases/year 50,000 deaths/year

Impact
Chagas is one of a triumvirate of diseases - Chagas, leishmaniasis and African sleeping sickness - caused by parasites of the trypanosomatidae family. Endemic to Central and South America, the parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) that causes Chagas disease (also called American trypanosomiasis) is the world’s leading cause of heart disease. It is passed by blood transfusion or with the bite and defecation of the reduviid or "kissing bug," so named for its tendency to attack around the lips. It is estimated that 16 – 18 million people are infected with Chagas and about 100 million people are at risk in 21 countries. This includes approximately 25% of the population of Latin America.

Symptoms
There are two stages of infection with Chagas disease. Acute symptoms only occur in about 1% of cases. These appear one to two weeks after infection and include fever, facial swelling around the bite site, and enlarged and painful lymph glands and fatigue. In general, symptoms last for 4 – 8 weeks and then disappear. In about one-third of the acute cases, chronic forms develop 10 – 20 years after infection. These are cardiac problems, including an enlarged heart, altered heart rate or rhythm, heart failure, or cardiac arrest. Enlargement of the esophagus or colon may also occur, with concomitant nutritional problems. For those who develop chronic symptoms, the average life expectancy decreases by an average of 9 years.

SBRI's Role
SBRI headed a consortium of international laboratories to sequence the genome of the Chagas disease parasite. This effort led to identification of unusual gene clusters also common to other trypanosomes. The growing database of genomic information for T. cruzi and related parasites helps SBRI researchers grasp the significance of the similarities and differences of the parasites, which in turn pinpoints targets for new drugs and treatments.

Kenneth Stuart, Ph.D., investigates the biological mechanics of parasites in order to identify new targets for drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics. His lab recently identified about one third of the proteins that are predicted from the genome sequence of the organism that causes African sleeping sickness and began characterizing more than 100 proteins that are in various multiprotein complexes. This information will provide a foundation for drug and diagnostic development.

Peter Myler, Ph.D., is determining the function of a regulatory gene that may be a potential drug target. He directed SBRI's genome sequencing effort to identify new targets for drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics.

Links
WHO Chagas disease fact sheet
CDC Chagas disease fact sheet

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