Chagas Disease as an Emerging Infectious Disease in the USA: A CTSA-PBRN Pilot Project

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Welcome to the CDN Chagas Disease Website, dedicated and launched in honor of World Chagas Disease Day which was April 14, 2024

 

Chagas Disease as an Emerging Infectious Disease in the USA:
A CTSA-PBRN Pilot Project

Supported in part by grants from:
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Institute for Global Infectious Disease Research

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) at the Rockefeller University #UL1-TR-001866
The N2-PBRN Virtual Training Series (AHRQ, Grant No. 1P30-HS-021667)
Rita Allen Foundation

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Chagas disease, caused by protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects ~8 million people in Mexico, Central & South America, and ~240,000-350,000 people in the USA. The main route of infection is through insect vectors, most frequently triatomine bugs. Chagas disease has acute and chronic phases, acute phase can last from few weeks to few months and is usually mild and asymptomatic and Chronic phase is usually lifelong and asymptomatic, but in 20-30% of patients can cause severe cardiac or gastrointestinal complications. Diagnosing Chagas disease usually requires review of the patient history and history of potential exposure to insect vectors in endemic areas. Treatment is very effective if prescribed during the acute phase. In the USA, Chagas disease mostly affects migrant workers and immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America, and travelers to these regions.

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Triatomine insect
Photo Credit: Heigen Villacarlos/Wikimedia Commons

The specific aims for this pilot project are:

  1. To build a full-spectrum translational research team that engages community-based practicing primary care clinicians with laboratory scientists to examine a potential emerging Chagas disease epidemic in the USA.
  2. To conduct bi-directional workforce training and development activities that bring together clinicians and investigators to build a learning community that will learn from each other as part of hybrid onsite/online CME-accredited trainings.
  3. To evaluate the feasibility and utility of extracting electronic health records data (EHR) to characterize the epidemiology and practice patterns related to testing and treatment of Chagas disease among participating Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

Chagas Disease in the USA: Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment for Primary Care Clinicians

Speakers:          Eva Clark, MD, PhD1, Jill Weatherhead, MD, PhD1

Introduction:  Paula Stigler Granados, PhD2
                                         1Baylor College of Medicine National School of Tropical Medicine,
                                         2San Diego State University

Date/Time:
Wednesday, December 6, 2023 (12PM-1:30PM ET|9AM-10:30AM PT)

Slides

CME/CNE Evaluations: This enduring activity is approved for 1.5 Prescribed CME/CNE credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Please complete the enduring evaluations for enduring credits.

Enduring CME/CNE Credits Click Here!

Congenital and Pediatric Chagas Disease in the USA

Speakers:        Morven Edwards, MD1 Nancy Jenks, NP2

Introduction:  Paula Stigler Granados, PhD3
                                        1Baylor College of Medicine National School of Tropical Medicine, Texas                                     Children’s Hospital,
                                       2Sun River Health,
                                       3San Diego State University

Date/Time:
Wednesday, January 10, 2024 (12PM-1:30PM ET|9AM-10:30AM PT)

Slides

CME/CNE Evaluations: This enduring activity is approved for 1.5 Prescribed CME/CNE credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Please complete the enduring evaluations for enduring credits.

Enduring CME/CNE Credits Click Here!

Chagas Disease as a Migrant Health Issue

Speakers:         Alyse Wheelock, MD1, Colin Forsyth, PhD, MPH2

Introduction:  Paula Stigler Granados, PhD3
                                         1Boston University,
                                         2Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI),
                                         3San Diego State University

Date/Time:
Wednesday, February, 7, 2024 (12PM-1:30PM ET|9AM-10:30AM PT)

Slides

CME/CNE Evaluations: This enduring activity is approved for 1.5 Prescribed CME/CNE credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Please complete the enduring evaluations for enduring credits.

Enduring CME/CNE Credits Click Here!

Interprofessional Team Approaches to Chagas Disease Management

Speakers: Maja Carrion, DrPHD1, Paula Stigler Granados, PhD2

Introduction:  Deliana Garcia, MA
                                          1Boston University,                                          2Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI),                                          3San Diego State University

Date/Time:
Wednesday, March, 6, 2024 (12PM-1:30PM ET|9AM-10:30AM PT)

Slides

CME/CNE Evaluations: This enduring activity is approved for 1.5 Prescribed CME/CNE credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Please complete the enduring evaluations for enduring credits.

Enduring CME/CNE Credits Click Here!

Poster

Presented at: 2024 CTSA Fall Program Meeting, November 14, 2024, Bethesda, MD
                           2024 NYC RING Convocation of Practices, October 29, 2024, Bronx, NY

Presented at: 2024 SNF Institute for Global Infectious Disease Research Symposium, April 11, 2024, New York, NY

Tools

  1. Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies-Chagas Disease Overview [LINK]
  2. US Chagas Network [LINK]
  3. Chagas Biovigilance Network (AABB) [LINK]
  4. The Chagas Disease Foundation [LINK]
  5. Chagas Disease Patient Insights Network [LINK]
  6. Center for Disease Control (CDC): Chagas Disease in the US (What United States Health Care Providers Need to Know About Chagas Disease) [LINK]
  7. UT Health San Antonio: What is Chagas Disease? [LINK]
  8. Texas A&M University: Kissing Bugs & Chagas Disease – Community Science Program [LINK]
  9. Center for Disease Control (CDC): Blood Donor Screening for Chagas Disease- United States, 2006-2007 [LINK]
  10. Texas DSHS: Chagas Disease Human Testing Guidance for Healthcare Providers [LINK]
  11. Racing to Diagnose Chagas Disease, A Silent Killer in Florida [LINK]
  12. A Guide To Setting Up Screening For Chagas Disease In Outpatient Settings: A tool created by BU INSECT Team: [LINK]
  13. T Cruzi Maps: [LINK]
  14. Boston University & Boston Medical Center: Chagas Disease [LINK]
  15. Latin American Society of Chagas (LASOCHA) [LINK]


Spanish
La Sociedad Latinoamericana de Chagas (LASOCHA) [LINK]
LASOCHA – Informacion para pacientes [LINK]
LASOCHA – Recursos para pacientes [LINK]
Enfermedad de Chagas/Chagas disease [LINK]

Collaborators and Partnering Institutions

  • Clinical Directors Network, Inc. (CDN)
  • The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Institute for Global Infectious Disease Research
  • Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science
  • Baylor College of Medicine, National School of Tropical Medicine
  • Sun River Health
  • Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN)
  • Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases (CDIPD)
  • University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA)
  • San Diego State University (SDSU)
  • UC San Diego (UCSD)
  • UC San Francisco (UCSF)
  • University of Florida (UF)
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Screen Shot 2024-04-12 at 4.59.46 PM
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Mundo Sano Poster
BU and Boston Medical