April 14, 2025
Over 10,000 deaths annually are linked to complications from Chagas disease. In the Americas, 75 million people are at risk of contracting this neglected tropical disease — most of them living in rural, Indigenous, and underserved communities.
What Causes it?
Chagas disease is a life-threatening infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, spread mainly by the triatomine bug or through contaminated food, blood transfusions, or from mother to child during childbirth.
A Silent Killer
An estimated 6 to 8 million people are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Yet around 70 percent of them don’t even know they’re infected. The disease often goes undetected for years, while taking a potentially deadly toll on the digestive and/or cardiovascular system.
Is There a Cure or Vaccine?
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent Chagas disease. Although it’s curable in the early stages, infected people often go undiagnosed. Access to testing and treatment is especially limited in rural and low-income areas.
Why is it Life Threatening?
Once symptoms appear, it’s often too late for treatment to kill the parasite and cure the disease. As many as 1 in 3 individuals with Chagas disease will endure heart damage, potentially leading to progressive heart failure or sudden death. In Latin America, Chagas disease claims more lives annually than any other parasitic illness, even surpassing malaria.
What’s Missing?
Less than 1 percent of people with Chagas disease receive proper and timely diagnosis and/or treatment. Screening during pregnancy and blood and organ donation is inconsistent— putting millions at risk. Chagas disease receives less than 1 percent of global funding for neglected tropical diseases.
Research and development for vaccines and treatment and improved diagnostics and vector control are needed to stop Chagas disease.
