Emmanuel Dias: O principal artífice do combate à doença de Chagas nas Américas

Abstract

In 2008, the centenary of the birth of Emmanuel Dias, whose life was intensely dedicated to the study, recognition and control of Chagas disease, is being celebrated. This summary of his life joins with the various homages paid in Brazil and abroad, to recall some of the key historical points in this scientist's career and the enormous social impact that resulted directly and indirectly from his work. Dias, who was Carlos Chagas' protégée and assistant, was considered by Chagas Filho to be the most proficient of his father's followers. Over the course of thirty years of activities, Dias began as a brilliant protozoologist and later on turned his attention towards facing the human disease. He worked intensively on diagnostics, epidemiology, clinical studies and control. He devised prospection strategies, mapped out the disease in the Americas, participated directly in systematizing chronic cardiopathy and described the first effective insecticide against triatomines, along with laying out the strategy for their control. Furthermore, he extended his activities throughout the field of this endemic disease: on the one hand, raising awareness about the disease and its control and, on the other hand, propelling health authorities and decision-making centers into action, to implement control measures. His work resulted in national and regional programs that have significantly reduced the transmission of the human disease throughout the continent. Dias was recently said to be the scientist who had had the all-time greatest impact on this trypanosomiasis.