Main description:

Chagas disease is a potentially life threatening condition that was historically mainly endemic to Latin America. Over the last decade, however, the disease has spread to and is increasingly prevalent in other continents such as North America and Europe, with an estimated 7 million people infected worldwide. It is primarily transmitted by insect vectors that carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the disease agent. In areas where there is vector control and in non-endemic countries, it is mainly transmitted via congenital infection. Cardiac and gastrointestinal complications are common in untreated individuals.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of Chagas disease, including its vectorial and congenital transmission, and molecular diagnosis, which is essential for screening, and developing and providing timely, effective anti-trypanosomal treatment. Written by experts working with infected patients on a daily basis, it discusses the pathogenesis of congenital, cardiac, gastrointestinal and oral Chagas disease, as well as its treatment and the pharmacological aspects of drug development in this area.

Chapter "Chagas Disease Treatment Efficacy Biomarkers: Myths and Realities" is available open access under a via link.springer.com.

Contents:

Overview

Chapter 1: Chagas disease: past, present and future

Hector Freilij

The agent

Chapter 2: Trypanosoma cruzi Journey from the Insect Vector to the Host Cell

Catalina D. Alba Soto and Stella M. Gonzalez Cappa

Chapter 3: A panoramic view of the immune response to Trypanosoma cruzi infection

Gonzalo R. Acevedo, Magali C. Girard and Karina A. Gomez

Epidemiology

Chapter 4: Epidemiology of Chagas Disease

Roberto Chuit, Roberto Meiss and Roberto Salvatella

Chapter 5: Chagas Disease in Europe

Julio Alonso-Padilla, Maria Jesus Pinazo and Joaquim Gascon

Chapter 6: Chagas Disease in the United States (USA)

Melissa S Nolan, Kyndall Dye-Braumuller and Eva Clark

Diagnosis

Chapter 7: Diagnosis of Chagas disease

Alejandro O Luquetti and Alejandro G. Schijman

Clinical aspects

Chapter 8: Acute vector-borne Chagas disease

Guillermo Moscatelli and Samanta Moroni

Chapter 9: Congenital Chagas Disease

Jaime Altcheh

Chapter 10: Chronic Trypanosoma cruzi Infection:

Decision Making in the Midst of Uncertainty

Juan Carlos Villar and Pablo Andres Bermudez

Chapter 11: Orally-Transmitted Chagas Disease: a Neglected Foodborne Infection

Belkisyole Alarcon de Noya and Oscar Noya Gonzalez

Chapter 12: Gastrointestinal Chagas Disease

Enio Chaves de Oliveira, Alexandre Barcelos Morais da Silveira and Alejandro O. Luquetti

Chapter 13: Chagas in immunosuppressed patients

Adelina R. Riarte, Marisa L. Fernandez, Claudia Salgueira and Javier Altclas

Treatment

Chapter 14: CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY OF DRUGS FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHAGAS DISEASE

Facundo Garcia-Bournissen

Chapter 15: In vivo Drug Testing for Experimental Trypanosoma cruzi Infection

Julian Ernesto Nicolas Gulin

Chapter 16: Chagas Disease Treatment Efficacy Biomarkers: Myths and Realities

Elizabeth Ruiz Lancheros, Eric Chatelain and Momar Ndao