Source: Doctor Gator - College of Medicine News

By Kaitlyn Shehorn, Danielle Ivanov

Growing up in the small, coastal town of Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, first-year University of Florida College of Medicine student Rodrigo Alcala-Arana was surrounded by kind neighbors, delicious fried fish, and lots of dancing. 

He enjoyed spending time outdoors, learning to spearfish and playing on his family’s farm, where el chipo – a triatomine insect often referred to as a “kissing bug” in English – was common. 

But the vibrant city was also home to a deadly and neglected tropical disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and spread through the feces of these kissing bugs. Chagas disease, named after the Brazilian Dr. Carlos Chagas who identified the ailment in 1909, could often go unnoticed for years. 

Roughly 6 to 7 million people are now estimated to have Chagas disease worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, and increasing numbers of Floridians are experiencing its effects. By the time serious complications appear from the disease, like congestive heart failure and chronic inflammation, the odds of survival are diminished. 

 “Growing up, it was this random bug that bit you, your heart got big, and you just died,” Alcala-Arana said. 

After witnessing the lack of awareness about Chagas disease abroad and watching people needlessly die from it, Alcala-Arana was moved to make a change. He has dedicated much of his time at UF to conducting research with his mentors and helping educate the public about the disease – a path that could potentially save lives all over the world.

 

A photo of a Triatoma sanguisuga insect, a species of kissing bug common throughout the southeastern U.S. that can vector Chagas disease. 

Courtesy of Dr. Norman Beatty

 

Raising awareness

 

In Puerto La Cruz, access to health care was limited and the nearest major hospital was hours away, Alcala-Arana said. People there recognized el chipo, but they did not have the scientific knowledge or access to timely medical intervention to treat Chagas disease. And often, people with the fewest resources were most at risk. 

 

“Because of their socioeconomic situation, a lot of people face circumstances that are really difficult,” Alcala-Arana said.

 

Kissing bugs can more easily enter households with thatched roofs or adobe architecture – frequent features of lower-income homes. Standard bug spray does not repel el chipo. The insects can be blocked by mosquito nets, but only if people can afford to buy them. 

 

To read more, click here