These bugs come out at nighttime, and attacking victims, they silently kill or leave them with a lifelong infection (Page 6 ) | September 13, 2024
Annonce:

Moore said that progress in eliminating Chagas is “glacial,” and addressing the target set by WHO for a 2030 disease elimination, he said, “I can’t imagine that we’ll be remotely close by 2030. That seems highly unlikely.”

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Chagas can be treated with two medicines, benznidazole and nifurtimox, both on the market 50 plus years, that Moore says is “toxic, unpleasant, not particularly effective.”

It can cure a baby but there’s no guarantee the medications can prevent or curb disease progression in adults.

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As for severe side effects, Rodríguez remembers coming out in hives, feeling dizzy and nauseated. She completed treatment and goes for check-ups every year.

Moore adds that more effective medication for Chagas is critical in curbing its spread but right now, there’s no financial appeal to pharmaceutical companies.

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Until there’s a higher market appeal to develop more treatments, Hernández is on a mission to make the silent disease louder, in her title as president of the International Federation of Associations of People Affected by Chagas Disease (FINDECHAGAS).

What should I do if I find a triatomine bug?

Meanwhile, Rodríguez is in Spain, fighting the “monster,” by bringing awareness to Chagas through a campaign by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

“I’m fed up with so much silence,” Rodríguez says. “I want people to talk about Chagas, and to know about it. I want people to get tested and to get treatment.”

And, they are being heard.

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