With more people traveling to the US and other countries from Latin America, this test will be able to detect the disease.  If one were the recipient of an organ from Latin America the disease could be transferred.  Many infected will drop down dead usually from heart problems cause by the disease 10, 20, 30 years after they've been infected and no one will know why.  Here’s a prior post that tells a bit more about what Chagas is.  In Latin America is is a bigger killer than malaria.  image

The disease that's ravaging Latin America – Chagas

The bugs carry the parasite that causes chagas, in their saliva and their feces.

The report states there’s little interest in developing new drugs and the ones being used to fight the disease are over 40 years old.  It causes heart problems, and it can be detected from a simple blood test.  Something like this could certainly use a vaccine I would say.  The disease can also be transferred through blood transfusions and organ transplantations.  BD

Abbott Laboratories said Wednesday it received Food and Drug Administration approval for its Prism Chagas blood test blood, aimed at detecting the parasitic infection that is potentially fatal.

Chagas disease can initially cause fever and rash, but in a chronic phrase can damage the nervous system and heart. It is spread by bloodsucking insects in the triatominae family, which are commonly called "kissing bugs."

Abbott Labs gets FDA approval for new blood test - BusinessWeek

0 comments :

Post a Comment

 
Top
Google Analytics Alternative