Witness

Chagas: A Silent Killer (2013x1)

: 16, 2013

Chagas is a deadly disease that has affected millions of people, but one Argentinian doctor is trying to stop it. It is deadly, it is spreading quickly, and most of the world has never heard of it. Chagas, a parasitic disease, is spread by the vinchuca bug's bite. In rural Argentina, villagers speak of "muerte subita" or rapid death caused by Chagas. It can eat away at the cardiac muscle until the patient's heart ruptures. It can devour the intestinal wall leading to toxicity and massive internal bleeding. It is incurable in adults and, while it is not always fatal, it is almost always debilitating. With more and more rural to urban migration, the disease is migrating as well. While it is easy to diagnose with a blood test, it presents few obvious symptoms, so many of those infected may never be properly diagnosed or treated until the disease attacks.