The Disease

Chagas Disease or American Trypanosomiasis

Each year over 8 million people in the Americas contract the Chagas disease. Chagas occurs in two stages and kills more people in the region than any other parasite-borne disease, including malaria. It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi transmitted primarily by insects known as “kissing bugs”. The existing treatments are not satisfactory and can have toxic side effects. What patients urgently need are affordable, safe, and efficacious diagnostics tools and treatments for children and adults as well as a drug that treats both stages of Chagas.