Brasília – A report released on November 25 showed that, although acute transmission of Chagas disease is largely under control in Brazil, a growing number of chronic cases remain undiagnosed or without adequate medical follow-up. Data from the national notification system (SINAN) registered 17,049 chronic cases by 2023, a figure experts consider far below the real number of infected individuals.

Estimates from recent epidemiological studies suggest that roughly 10.5 million people worldwide live with Chagas disease and that nearly 4 million of them — close to 38% of the global burden — may be in Brazil. Specialists point to lack of training in tropical diseases, low clinical suspicion and limited access to diagnostic services as key factors behind missed diagnoses. Many patients only discover the infection when advanced cardiac or digestive complications emerge years after exposure.

The report emphasizes the need to strengthen screening in primary care, expand access to confirmatory testing and treatment, and reinforce continuous monitoring for affected populations. Experts warn that without better diagnostic capacity and clinical management, avoidable morbidity and mortality related to Chagas disease will continue to rise.

Source: CNN Brasil

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