Globalization and Chagas Disease

Abstract

Globalization and Chagas Disease reflect several historic and social situations in Latin America (LA), with important influences and repercussions in the general society and between themselves. Originally, the disease was restricted to LA, with a socio-political context strongly marked by poverty, migration and the progressive enfeeblement of the State. (CNBB 2003, Macedo 1997, Schmunis 1997, Schmunis & Dias, 2000). In general, Chagas Disease emerges from a bio ecological context, deeply engaged with the people way of living and with the natural history of its etiological agent, the protozoan Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi (T.cruzi), circulating among several mammalian reservoirs and intermediate vectors, occurring in different sylvan sceneries of the Continent. Later on, this trypanosomiasis began to affect the human being in the so called domestic cycle, involving man invasion of natural environment, people migration, very poor dwellings and multiple situations of anthropic character (Dias & Coura, 1997, WHO, 2002). In the last Century, the globalization phenomena influenced important changes in the endemic landscape of the Region, as well as the “urbanization” and the international migration of infected individuals, so increasing the risk of human Chagas Disease (HCD transmitted by blood transfusion or congenital route in endemic and non endemic countries.