Welcome to the CDN Chagas Disease Website, dedicated and launched in honor of World Chagas Disease Day which is April 14, 2024

Chagas Disease as an Emerging Infectious Disease in the USA:
A CTSA-PBRN Pilot Project

Supported in part by grants from:
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Institute for Global Infectious Disease Research
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) at the Rockefeller University #UL1-TR-001866
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Grant #1P30-HS-021667
The N²-PBRN Virtual Training Series (AHRQ, Grant No. 1P30-HS-021667)

Chagas disease, caused by protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects ~8 million people in Mexico, Central & South America, and ~240,000-350,000 people in the USA. The main route of infection is through insect vectors, most frequently triatomine bugs. Chagas disease has acute and chronic phases, acute phase can last from few weeks to few months and is usually mild and asymptomatic and Chronic phase is usually lifelong and asymptomatic, but in 20-30% of patients can cause severe cardiac or gastrointestinal complications. Diagnosing Chagas disease usually requires review of the patient history and history of potential exposure to insect vectors in endemic areas. Treatment is very effective if prescribed during the acute phase. In the USA, Chagas disease mostly affects migrant workers and immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America, and travelers to these regions.

Triatomine insect
Photo Credit: Heigen Villacarlos/Wikimedia Commons

The specific aims for this pilot project are:

To build a full-spectrum translational research team that engages community-based practicing primary care clinicians with laboratory scientists to examine a potential emerging Chagas disease epidemic in the USA.
To conduct bi-directional workforce training and development activities that bring together clinicians and investigators to build a learning community that will learn from each other as part of hybrid onsite/online CME-accredited trainings.
To evaluate the feasibility and utility of extracting electronic health records data (EHR) to characterize the epidemiology and practice patterns related to testing and treatment of Chagas disease among participating Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

Chagas Disease in the USA: Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment for Primary Care Clinicians

Speakers: Eva Clark, MD, PhD¹, Jill Weatherhead, MD, PhD¹

Introduction: Paula Stigler Granados, PhD²¹Baylor College of Medicine National School of Tropical Medicine,
²San Diego State University

Date/Time:
Wednesday, December 6, 2023 (12PM-1:30PM ET|9AM-10:30AM PT)

Congenital and Pediatric Chagas Disease in the USA

Speakers: Morven Edwards, MD¹Nancy Jenks, NP²

Introduction: Paula Stigler Granados, PhD³¹Baylor College of Medicine National School of Tropical Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital,
²Sun River Health,
³San Diego State University

Date/Time:
Wednesday, January 10, 2024 (12PM-1:30PM ET|9AM-10:30AM PT)

Chagas Disease as a Migrant Health Issue

Speakers: Alyse Wheelock, MD¹, Colin Forsyth, PhD, MPH²

Introduction: Paula Stigler Granados, PhD³¹Boston University,
²Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI),
³San Diego State University

Date/Time:
Wednesday, February, 7, 2024 (12PM-1:30PM ET|9AM-10:30AM PT)

Interprofessional Team Approaches to Chagas Disease Management

Speakers: Maja Carrion, DrPHD¹, Paula Stigler Granados, PhD²

Introduction: Deliana Garcia, MA¹Boston University,²Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI),³San Diego State University

Date/Time:
Wednesday, March, 6, 2024 (12PM-1:30PM ET|9AM-10:30AM PT)

Poster

Tools

Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies-Chagas Disease Overview [LINK]
US Chagas Network [LINK]
Chagas Biovigilance Network (AABB) [LINK]
The Chagas Disease Foundation [LINK]
Chagas Disease Patient Insights Network [LINK]
Center for Disease Control (CDC): Chagas Disease in the US (What United States Health Care Providers Need to Know About Chagas Disease) [LINK]
UT Health San Antonio: What is Chagas Disease? [LINK]
Texas A&M University: Kissing Bugs & Chagas Disease – Community Science Program [LINK]
Center for Disease Control (CDC): Blood Donor Screening for Chagas Disease- United States, 2006-2007 [LINK]
Texas DSHS: Chagas Disease Human Testing Guidance for Healthcare Providers [LINK]
Racing to Diagnose Chagas Disease, A Silent Killer in Florida [LINK]
Handbook on implementation of Chagas disease screening put together by BU group: [LINK]
T Cruzi Maps: [LINK]
Boston University & Boston Medical Center: Chagas Disease [LINK]
A Guide To Setting Up Screening For Chagas Disease In Outpatient Settings [LINK]

Funding

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Institute for Global Infectious Disease Research
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) at the Rockefeller University #UL1-TR-001866
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Grant #1P30-HS-021667
The N²-PBRN Virtual Training Series (AHRQ, Grant No. 1P30-HS-021667)