The CDC has warned about an “endemic” of Chagas disease, and the media has picked it up with hysteria. Is that justified? Let’s put this in perspective. Chagas is a parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi; it’s more common in animals than people, but human cases do occur and can cause heart problems — and doctors can usually treat it successfully with anti-parasitic drugs. Earlier this year The Lancet argued that the WHO should declare Chagas endemic in order to fast-track vaccine development. But why a vaccine when anti-parasite drugs already work? The LA Times claims people don’t know they’re sick until a heart attack or stroke. That’s not accurate — there are warning signs like fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, or swelling near the eye. Even more concerning, The Lancet admits a vaccine would be trialed in poor Latin American communities, including patients with existing heart inflammation — a condition that an immune-stimulating vaccine could make worse. In other words, the poorest and sickest people could be used to test an experimental product even though effective drugs already exist. And remember: “endemic” doesn’t mean cases are surging. It simply means the disease is present at a steady baseline level in a region. So why this sudden panic about Chagas disease — especially given that your vet wouldn’t even panic if they found it in your dog? They’d just treat it. Well… we don’t know why. Do you? The post Why Is the Media Hyping a Treatable Parasite? appeared first on Redacted.