What is it about?
Our study analysed one of the largests longitudinal observational cohorts of persons with chronic Chagas disease to evaluate the effectiveness of nifurtimox in parasite elimination or serconversion to negative. After accounting for confounders, our results show that users of nifurtimox have a two-fold higher likelihood to get parasite eradication or seronversion to negative compared to a placebo group.
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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Chagas disease is endemic in parts of Latin America and its prevalence is increasing in non-endemic countries due to migration flows. Symptoms may be mild or absent in the early acute phase of disease. However, some chronic patients experience severe cardiac or gastrointestinal effects up to 30 years after infection. Chronic Chagas disease is treatable, and eventually erradicable with a combination of improved access to healthcare, and preventive measures to stop transmission.
Perspectives
Hopeully this article supports expanding the use of anti-trypanosomic treatment in affected areas as well as non-endemic countries.
David vizcaya
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Serological response to nifurtimox in adult patients with chronic Chagas disease: An observational comparative study in Argentina, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, October 2021, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009801.
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