Introductory Chapter: Chagas Disease and Its Global Impacts

Abstract

Soft tissue specimens from mummified remains of members of the Chinchorro culture of the Andean coast in South America have been found to be positive for Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) DNA [1]. The Chinchorros were fishermen inhabiting the pacific coastal region of northern Chile and southern Peru and T. cruzi the causative agent of American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease is presently listed as one of the several neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and as one of the five neglected parasitic infections (NPIs) of the world focused by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for public health intervention [2]. This finding spells out that the causative agent of American trypanosomiasis has been around for 9000 years already as the samples which tested positive are dated back to 7050 B.C. [1]. There are several historical accounts that have also mentioned about the prevalence of Chagas disease but some of these are just speculative assessments as signs and symptoms of patients were not consistent with the current pathophysiology of the disease. There were even speculations that Charles Darwin himself was infected with Chagas disease but popular opinions disagree as there were no actual clinical evidences to support that Charles Darwin was indeed suffering from megacolon or heart disease even later on in his life [3].