How Chagas Disease Spreads

Summary: "The Epidemiology of Chagas Disease in the Americas," by Zulma M. Cucunubá, Fernando Abad-Franch, and colleagues, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas (2024), reviews how Trypanosoma cruzi spreads via insect vectors, congenital, oral, and transfusion routes. Despite control efforts by WHO and PAHO, millions remain infected, often undiagnosed. The authors emphasize parasite genetic diversity, socioeconomic disparities, and the need for improved surveillance, diagnosis, treatment access, and long-term vector control strategies. Citation: Cucunubá, Z. M., Gutiérrez-Romero, S. A., Ramírez, J.-D., Velásquez-Ortiz, N., Ceccarelli, S., Parra-Henao, G., Henao-Martínez, A. F., Rabinovich, J., Basáñez, M.-G., Nouvellet, P., & Abad-Franch, F. (2024). The epidemiology of Chagas Disease in the Americas. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 37, 100881. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2024.100881