Centennial, but still current

In the centennial anniversary of the discovery of the etiologic agent of Chagas disease (Carlos Chagas discovered the disease, vector and etiologic agent all at once!), the subject is not only current, but the acute disease stills occurs. The vector-transmitted disease is already under control in Brazil, but the congenital and transfusional forms, and those by non-usual transmission, are still observed. Recently, an individual from the State of Santa Catarina went to the beach and drank garapa (sugar cane juice). The sugar cane was probably ground with triatomide and he developed severe acute myocarditis and acute Chagas disease. Similar cases were described in the State of Pará after ingestion of in natura açaí palm fruit pulp. The finding of Trypanosoma cruzi in peripheral blood confirmed the diagnosis (Figure 1).

Figure 1
Trypanosoma cruzi in peripheral blood (Leishman × 1000)

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  Jul-Sep 2010

History

• Received
  24 Feb 2010
• Accepted
  30 May 2010