%0 Journal Article
%T Human Chagas Disease and Migration in the Context of Globalization: Some Particular Aspects
%A Jo£¿o Carlos Pinto Dias
%J Journal of Tropical Medicine
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/789758
%X Human Chagas disease originated in Latin America, being spread around the world in relation with multiple bioecological, sociocultural, and political factors. The process of the disease production and dispersion is discussed, emphasizing the human migration and correlated aspects, in the context of globalization. Positive and negative consequences concern the future of this trypanosomiasis, mainly in terms of the ecologic and sociopolitical characteristics of the endemic and nonendemic countries. 1. Introduction In a broad sense, human Chagas Disease (HCD) reflects the bioecological, historic, and social situations of Latin America (LA), presenting a remarkable medical and social impact in the region [1, 2]. In its origin the disease was restricted to rural areas of LA, with a socio-political context strongly marked by poverty, human movements, and very weak productive relations. Emerging from a sylvatic cycle of the protozoan Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi (T. cruzi), HCD progressively became engaged with the political context of endemic countries and with a low standard of living of their population [3¨C5]. Following the circulation of the parasite during several thousands of years amongst different mammalian reservoirs and invertebrate vectors, in different ecological sceneries of the continent, the infection reached human beings in the so-called domestic cycle, resulting from man invasion of the natural environment. People migration, very poor conditions of life, and multiple situations of anthropic activities have been considered as the most important epidemiological factors of HCD spreading in LA [6¨C9]. In the last century, the progressive urbanization and the intensive migration of infected individuals increased the risk of HCD transmitted by blood transfusion and congenital route also in nonendemic regions [5, 6, 10]. In the present work, a general discussion about the role and the main antecedents of migration and other epidemiological aspects of HCD is intended, in the context of globalization. 2. The Medical Impact and the Fight against HCD Until the last century, HCD affected primordially rural people living in poor dwellings colonized by the vector insect. It has been extremely impacting disease, with expressive mortality among children in its acute phase and severe heart lesions in about 10¨C20% of chronic adult patients. Its medical and social burdens involve mortality, high hospital and social costs, absenteeism, and labor incapacity [1, 11¨C13]. For recent years the prevalence of 8-9 million of infected individuals in LA has been
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jtm/2013/789758/