Chagas alert issued by WHO

It was around this time last year that the swine flu/H1N1 outbreak became front page news worldwide. The disease may have claimed the lives of thousands of people according to one estimate while focus was placed on Mexico due to its high level of cases.

The attention and resources mobilized in 2009 to combat swine flu/H1N1 distracted from other deadly yet underreported diseases throughout the Americas such as the dengue fever. More recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning to travelers regarding Chagas disease- an ailment that can become “potentially life-threatening.” An estimated 10 million people are infected worldwide, according to the WHO, especially in Latin America where the disease used to be contained.

Within the Americas several countries like Brazil, Chile and Uruguay have been active in trying to control spreading of Chagas. Nonetheless there have been outbreaks in recent years like in Venezuela, where the growth of Chagas infections has become a political talking point:

Chagas is increasing steadily in Venezuela, said Dr. Oscar Noya of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, who blamed human encroachment on the kissing bug’s environment. More worrying still is that the kissing bug appears to be adapting to human habitats, he said…

For critics of the government, the increase in cases of Chagas is not only a sign of neglect of a previously successful program of control through fumigation, but also an indicator that President Hugo Chavez’s socialist government’s assertion that it has dramatically reduced poverty is not as watertight as it claims.

While there is no vaccine for Chagas the parasite that carries it can be eradicated if diagnosed in its early stages.

Image- Anthropology Works
Online Sources- Wikipedia, BBC News, DNA, The Latin Americanist, WHO, El Mundo, scidev.net, Global Post

The Half-Year That Was: H1N1

We continue our look at some of the notable headlines of the past six-and-a-half months with the uproar over the swine flu.

Three months ago the press couldn’t stop reporting on the H1N1 virus swine flu, especially how Mexico was hit the hardest. The capital city of Mexico City was virtually shutdown for several weeks in an effort to contain the illness. Nevertheless, the disease has officially been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic and it has spread throughout the Americas. Though the swine flu continues to expand, the danger exists that such a strong focus on the disease could drain resources from deadlier maladies like Chagas disease and the dengue fever.

The following CBS News video from April looks at how the lives of Mexico City residents were turned upside down by the flu:

Online Sources- Reuters, YouTube, The Latin Americanist

The swine flu distraction

The massive hoopla surrounding the swine flu outbreak has obscured news about other, deadlier diseases. For instance, yesterday we mentioned how an outbreak of dengue fever has killed more people in Latin America (excluding Mexico) this year than the H1N1 virus.

According to some health advocates, such a strong focus on the swine flu have caused officials to be distracted and pay less attention to other more pertinent health problems. "Malaria, drug-resistant tuberculosis — they are killing people every day," said Dr. Sam Zaramba, Uganda's chief medical officer in reaction to how much time and energy has been spent on the swine flu at this year's World Health Assembly (WHA). Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) issued a statement decrying the lack of sufficient discussion on Chagas disease- a tropical disease that affects millions yearly throughout Latin America. MSF officials were disappointed that the WHA practically ignored a malady which kills an estimated 15,000 people in Latin America per year:

“At the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Chagas we had expected that the WHA would adopt a resolution where all affected countries agree to integrate care of acute and chronic Chagas patients into their primary healthcare systems, and to invest more in research,” said Roger Teck, MSF director of operations. “People affected by this neglected disease are once again neglected. However, even though Chagas is now off the WHA agenda, this should not be used as an excuse for inaction. Governments of endemic countries should step up through developing and implementing better national and international protocols to fight Chagas.”

Image- Discover Magazine
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Reuters, AP