Exploring Neglected Diseases Through Stories
Every story starts with a question. Ours begins in Veracruz, Mexico, where a mother’s routine blood donation encounter leads to a shocking discovery: her daughter has a disease neither of them has ever heard of.
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It primarily affects mammals and is transmitted by the triatomine bug, also known as the kissing bug.
What is Chagas disease?
Chagas disease is known as "the silent and silenced disease." Silent, because it can go unnoticed for decades. Silenced, because it primarily affects the marginalized. Our podcast delves into the details—scientific, medical, and social—to reveal what makes this disease so elusive and why it still matters.
Classification
- Family – Trypanosomatidae
- Order – Kinetoplastida
- First Described: 1909 by Carlos Chagas, though evidence of the disease dates back 9000 years
Understanding chagas
Transmission
- Main vector: kissing bug
- Parasites enter the host through feces deposited near bite wounds
- Can also be transmitted congenitally, via blood transfusion, or organ transplant
Symptoms
- Acute stage: fever, fatigue, swollen glands, flu-like symptoms
- Chronic stage: heart disease, digestive tract complications, organ enlargement, neurological issues
Hosts
Humans, dogs, raccoons, armadillos, sloths, and rodents
LIFE CYCLE & THE KISSING BUG
Transmission Cycle
- Infected kissing bug bites a human and defecates near the wound
- Parasites in feces enter through mucous membranes or skin breaks
- T. cruzi invades cells, reproduces, and spreads through the bloodstream
- When another bug feeds on an infected host, the cycle continues
Life Cycle Forms
- Metacyclic trypomastigotes (infectious)
- Amastigotes (intracellular, dividing)
- Bloodstream trypomastigotes
- Epimastigotes (inside the bug)
Social Impact & Neglect
Why is Chagas ignored?
- Affects impoverished, rural populations
- Poor access to diagnosis/treatment
- Underfunded research: only 15 primary labs study it in the US and Europe
- 2009–2018: Only $236.3 million in research investment
Treatment Challenges
- Benznidazole and nifurtimox are over 50 years old
- Harsh side effects and limited adult efficacy
Socioeconomic Consequences
- Reduced work productivity, high healthcare costs
- Risk of generational poverty
- Stigma, lack of awareness, limited trust in healthcare systems
Public health & Prevention Efforts
Voices of Advocacy: Elvira Cuevas, whose daughter was diagnosed with Chagas, now leads the International Federation of Chagas Patients to raise awareness and demand change.
Prevention Strategies
- Community education
- Mobile health clinics
- Vector control programs
- Enhanced screening and early diagnosis
Expert Interview Highlights: Dr. Kerri Coon
"RNA interference...can be used to silence essential genes in the kissing bug vector itself. Thinking about paratransgenesis, we often think about genetically modifying microbes to secrete molecules that target the parasite in the vector, but you can also genetically modify microbes to produce double-stranded RNA...that results in RNA interference to silence essential genes of the vector itself."
- Role of insect microbiomes in disease control
- Promising vector control innovations
- Importance of local community involvement in public health
"Involving local communities is crucial for sustainable prevention. In the context of Chagas disease, I think that it looks like educating residents about Chagas disease [and] encouraging them to report sightings of vectors... so that people can provide information that helps sort of keep track... of local vector populations and where they may be abundant."
A CALL TO ACTION
Chagas disease remains preventable, detectable, and treatable—yet neglected.
Here’s how you can help:
- Share this podcast
- Read more from WHO and CDC
- Support organizations like DNDi and the Chagas Access Project
Let’s stop Chagas from staying silent.
MEET THE TEAM
Sathvi Sri (Co-host, Interviewer, Researcher)
Sathvi Sri (she/her) is a third-year Global Health major at UW-Madison, completing pre-health coursework. Her interests lie at the intersection of medicine, public health, and policy, with a focus on equitable healthcare systems and community-driven health initiatives. She plans to pursue an MPH in Health Policy to bridge clinical care and public health strategies.
Khadijah Dhoondia (Co-host, Writer, Researcher)
Khadijah Dhoondia (she/her) is a third-year Biology and Global Health major with certificates in Biocore and Life Sciences Communication at UW-Madison. She is on the pre-health track and hopes to go to medical school to pursue a career as a physician.
Litzy Gonzalez (Co-host, Writer, Researcher)
Litzy Gonzalez (she/her) is a first-year Microbiology major at UW-Madison. She plans to double major in Genetics and aims to eventually get a PhD. She is primarily interested in studying infectious and autoimmune diseases and hopes to work in the research field.
Katarina Aranguiz (Producer, Researcher)
Katarina Aranguiz (she/her) is a fourth-year biochemistry major at UW-Madison with a certificate in data science. Her academic interests involve building and utilizing computational tools to answer questions about microbiology and biochemistry. She will work in a bio-automation lab for one year after graduating this May before pursuing a PhD program.
Ethan Scholzen (Producer, Researcher)
Ethan Scholzen (he/him) is a third-year Biology major at UW-Madison. His academic interests involve a combination of environmental health, microbiology and biochemistry. Through completing pre-health coursework, he aims to pursue a career as a physician's assistant.
Acknowledgement: We would like to thank Dr. Coon for sharing her insights and participating in our interview segment, and for encouraging us to explore creative approaches in this project!
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Photo Credits: All images used are from Adobe Stock with the exception of UN SDG graphics which were obtained from GIPHY (referenced above) and personal portrait photographs of the authors which were uploaded individually.
Credits:
Created with images by BORIS - "microscopic isolated cancer cells medical illustration" • chokniti - "Laboratory equipment optical microscope, closeup of scientific microscope with metal lens, data analysis in the laboratory" • KQ Ferris - "Close up bottom-up view of peeling bark plates on a mature shagbark hickory tree with summer green canopy overhead" • Anthony Paz - "Kissing bug chagas disease vector triatomine; human health emerging zoonotic disease" • fivepointsix - "Aerial view over a township near Cape Town, South Africa" • Viacheslav Yakobchuk - "Close up of special micromanipulators extracting blastomeres" • Dusan Petkovic - "Microbiology and genetics. Close up of a microscope in a laboratory." • Tinatin - "Kids joining hands together"