CHAGAS DISEASE: CONTEMPORARY EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DYNAMICS AND DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC CHALLENGES.
Abstract
Objective: To review the contemporary challenges of Chagas disease, with emphasis on changes in geographic distribution, diagnostic barriers, and the need for more effective and tolerable therapies. Methods: A descriptive and analytical narrative literature review was conducted using the PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, and Web of Science databases. The health descriptors (DeCs/MeSH) "Chagas Disease," "Chagas Cardiomyopathy," and "Neglected Diseases" were combined using Boolean operators (AND/OR). Original articles, reviews, and guidelines published in Portuguese and English over the last 10 years were selected based on thematic relevance and methodological rigor. Data were critically synthesized to develop this study. Literature review: Chagas disease, an anthropozoonosis caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is considered a neglected disease by the World Health Organization because it predominantly affects vulnerable populations and receives limited investment for its control. Although historically associated with vector-borne transmission in rural areas of Latin America, the disease currently presents significant changes in its epidemiological profile, notably oral transmission in the Amazon region and expansion to non-endemic areas due to migration. The social and economic impacts on the affected population are significant, while mitigation strategies remain insufficient, highlighting the need for advances in research, especially in the development of more accurate diagnostic tests and more effective drugs with lower toxicity. Final considerations: Despite advances in knowledge about the disease, gaps persist in epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment. The study highlights the need to ensure access to timely diagnosis and effective treatment in order to prevent progression to severe and debilitating forms.
Author Biographies
Médica pediatra com habilitação em cardiologia. É professora assistente do curso de medicina da Universidade do Estado do Pará.
Médica dermatologista e doutora em agentes Infecciosos e parasitários da Amazônia, professora adjunto da Universidade do Estado do Pará.
Médico, cirurgião cardíaco, médico assistente da Fundação Pública Hospital de Clínicas Gaspar Viana, Belém-PA.
Biólogo, mestrando em Gestão em Serviços de Saúde da Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará, coordenador estadual do Programa de Doença de Chagas da Secretaria de Estado de Saúde Pública do Estado do Pará.
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