When Emiliana Rodriguez was a little girl, she recalls watching friends play a nighttime soccer match when one of the players abruptly died on the pitch.
Unaware of what had transpired, Rodriguez, a native of Bolivia, developed a phobia of the dark and the “monster”—the silent killer known as Chagas—that she had been told only appears at night.
Chagas disease is a unique sort of illness that is spread by nocturnal insects. It is also known as the “silent and silenced disease” that infects up to 8 million people annually, killing 12,000 people on average.
Emiliana Rodriguez, 42, discovered she had to live with Chagas, a “monster,” after relocating to Barcelona from Bolivia 27 years ago.
“Night is when the fear generally struck. I didn’t always sleep well,” she admitted. “I was worried that I wouldn’t wake up from my sleep.”
Rodriguez had specific tests when she was eight years old and expecting her first child, and the results indicated that she carried the Chagas gene. She recalled the passing of her buddy and remarked, “I was paralyzed with shock and remembered all those stories my relatives told me about people suddenly dying.” “I wondered, ‘What will happen to my baby?’”
Rodriguez was prescribed medicine, though, to prevent the parasite from vertically transmitting to her unborn child. After her daughter was born, she tested negative. Elvira Idalia Hernández Cuevas, 18, was unaware of the Mexican silent killer until her 18-year-old son was diagnosed with Chagas.
Idalia, an eighteen-year-old blood donor from her birthplace near Veracruz, Mexico, had a positive diagnosis for Chagas, a disease caused by triatomine bugs, often known as vampire or kissing bugs and bloodsucking parasites, when her sample was tested.
In an interview with the Guardian, Hernandez stated, “I started to research Chagas on the internet because I had never heard of it.” When I read that it was a silent murderer, I became really afraid. I had no idea where to go or what to do.
She is not alone in this; a lot of people are ignorant of the diseases that these unpleasant bugs can spread. The term Chagas originates from Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, a Brazilian physician and researcher who made the discovery of the human case in 1909.
Over the past few decades, reports of the incidence of Chagas disease have been made in Europe, Japan, Australia, Latin America, and North America.
Kissing bugs are mostly found in rural or suburban low-income housing walls, where they are most active at night when humans are asleep. The insect bites an animal or person, then excretes on the skin of the victim. The victim may inadvertently scratch the area and sever the skin, or they may spread the excrement into their mouth or eyes. This is how the T. cruzi infection is disseminated.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between 6 and 7 million people worldwide—roughly 8 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America—have Chagas disease; the majority of these individuals remain oblivious to their illness. These estimates are provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The persistent infection might be fatal if untreated. According to the Guardian, Chagas disease kills over 12,000 people year, “more people in Latin America than any other parasite disease, including malaria.”
Despite the fact that these bugs have been found in the United States—nearly 300,000 people are infected—they are not thought to be endemic.
While some people never experience any symptoms, the CDC notes that 20 to 30 percent experience gastrointestinal or heart problems that can cause excruciating pain decades later.
Furthermore, only 10% of cases are detected globally, which makes prevention and treatment exceedingly challenging.
Hernández and her daughter Idalia went to see a number of doctors in search of assistance, but all were also uninformed about Chagas disease and its management. “I was taken aback, terrified, and depressed because I believed my kid was going to pass away. Above all, Hernandez stated, “I was more anxious because I was unable to locate any trustworthy information.”
Idalia finally got the care she required after receiving assistance from a family member who was employed in the medical field.
“The Mexican government claims that the Chagas disease is under control and that not many people are affected, but that is untrue,” Hernández asserts. Medical practitioners misdiagnose Chagas disease for other heart conditions because they lack knowledge in this area. Most people are unaware that there is Chagas in Mexico.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified chagas as a neglected tropical disease, which means that the global health policy agenda does not include it.
Chagas is overlooked in part because, according to Colin Forsyth, a research manager at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), “it’s a silent disease that stays hidden for so long in your body… because of the asymptomatic nature of the initial part of the infection.”
Forsyth went on to say, “The people affected just don’t have the power to influence healthcare policy,” making reference to the impoverished communities. It’s kept hidden by a convergence of social and biological factors.
Chagas, however, is becoming more well recognized as it spreads to other continents and can also be transferred from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth, as well as through organ and blood transfusions.
The main objective of the Chagas Hub, a UK-based facility founded by Professor David Moore, a doctor at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London, is to get “more people tested and treated, and to manage the risk of transmission, which in the UK is from mother to child,” according to Professor Moore.
Regarding the WHO’s 2030 aim for the eradication of the disease, Moore stated that progress toward it is “glacial” and added, “I can’t imagine that we’ll be remotely close by 2030.” That seems improbable.
Two medications that have been available for more than 50 years to treat chagas are benznidazole and nifurtimox, which according to Moore are “toxic, unpleasant, not particularly effective.”
Although the medications are effective in curing babies, there is no guarantee that they will prevent or halt the advancement of the condition in adults.
Regarding severe adverse effects, Rodriguez remembers getting dizziness and nausea as well as breaking out in hives. She completed her therapy, and she gets checked out annually.
Moore goes on to say that while creating stronger anti-Chaga drugs is crucial to stopping the disease’s spread, pharmaceutical companies are currently not financially motivated to do so.
As president of the International Federation of Associations of People Affected by Chagas condition (FINDECHAGAS), Hernández is on a mission to raise awareness of the condition until there is a greater need on the market for innovative treatments.
In Spain, Rodriguez is battling the “monster” as part of a campaign to increase public awareness of Chagas disease being conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.
“I’m tired of hearing nothing at all,” Rodriguez declares. “I want Chagas to be discussed and made public. I’m in favor of testing and therapy for individuals.
They are being heard, too.
World Chagas Disease Day was instituted by the WHO on April 14, 1909, the day Carlos discovered the disease’s first human case.The WHO states that “a diversified set of 20 diseases and disease categories are set out to be prevented, controlled, eliminated, and eradicated through global targets for 2030 and milestones.” And among them is Chagas.
To prevent a possible infestation, the CDC suggests taking the following steps:
Close up any gaps and fissures around doors, windows, walls, and roofs.
Clear out the rock, wood, and brush piles close to your home.
Put screens on windows and doors, and fix any tears or holes in them.
Close up gaps and crevices that lead to the exterior, crawl areas beneath the home, and the attic.
Keep pets inside, especially during the evening.
Maintain the cleanliness of your home and any outdoor pet resting places, and check for bugs on a regular basis.
If you believe you have discovered a kissing insect, the CDC recommends avoiding crushing it. Alternatively, carefully put the bug in a jar, fill it with rubbing alcohol, and then freeze it. It is then recommended that you bring the bug’s container to an academic lab or your local health authority so that it can be identified.
Please tell this tale to help spread the word about an illness that goes unnoticed!
Jennifer Aniston is adored by everyone
Even though her life seems effortless and flawless to the outside world, Jennifer Aniston’s life is not always that way. Her brilliant looks and endearing demeanor belie a difficult personal history that includes multiple obstacles encountered during her professional career.
In spite of this, Jennifer maintained much of her beauty from the start of her show business career, making her an outstanding example of beauty in aging.
Even with her inherent beauty, Jennifer Aniston had some hidden defects, as evidenced by recently released pictures of her that show her sans makeup and with some tiny facial scars.
This serves as a reminder that, even in cases where we admire someone from a distance, it’s possible that they are dealing with unforeseen challenges that we are ignorant of.
This is particularly true for public figures like Jennifer; it can be challenging to maintain any sense of intimacy or privacy when so many eyes and cameras are trained on you.
Jennifer’s accomplishments have not always been without cost: occasionally, her personal goals take precedence over her career goals. But even in the face of adversity, Jennifer Aniston never fails to inspire us all with her bravery and grace.
In 1969, Jennifer was born in Sherman Oaks, a part of Los Angeles renowned for its immaculate homes and charming neighborhoods. Since she was a little child, she had dreamed of becoming an actress, and she enrolled at the prestigious Waldorf School once her family moved to New York City.
Regretfully, Jennifer had to deal with a number of unpleasant teachers in high school who frequently threatened to expel her.
In order to make ends meet while struggling as an actor in New York, Jennifer worked as a waitress at a restaurant where she put in long hours for meager pay, as a telemarketer without any success closing any sales because she lacked knowledge and experience in such matters, and even as a bike messenger around town.
Jennifer continued to pursue her dream of being an actor in spite of these obstacles and the failure of the six television shows she appeared in throughout the years.
After years of dedication and hard work, Jennifer Aniston was able to land her dream role as Rachel Green on the hit television series “Friends.” Her portrayal of Rachel has since garnered praise and recognition as one of the most significant female roles to ever grace American television, creating a lasting impression on viewers everywhere.
Jennifer had doubts about the show’s potential for success, but in the end, it made her extremely famous and earned her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She then rose to prominence as one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses, and her newly discovered fame increased even more once her relationship with Brad Pitt was widely reported.
In 1998, Jennifer and Brad started dating, and in 2000, they were married. The couple split in 2005, despite the belief of many of their friends and family that they would be together forever.
According to rumors, Brad intended to get rid of Jennifer because she wasn’t ready for children at the time. However, Jennifer denied this and insisted that she had always wanted a family.
Although going through a divorce was a very difficult experience for them both, they still get along well and express gratitude to one another. They have a strong friendship, mutual respect, and appreciation for one another even after their divorce.
Jennifer has recently expressed her displeasure with the way women are portrayed in Hollywood and tabloids in an assertive manner. She has made it her mission to promote female emancipation and showcase her unaltered beauty. Her admirers have shown her a great deal of respect due to the frequent fresh-faced photos she posts on Instagram.
Many foreign periodicals often interview Jennifer because her career and personal life have always piqued their interest. She has recently questioned conventional gender norms and promoted body positivity through her platform.
Her refusal to conform to the standards society holds for women’s physical attractiveness is admirable and resonates with a lot of people.
Because of her pro-womanhood position, which has attracted notice outside of Hollywood, Jennifer is now seen as an inspirational figure for men and women everywhere. She exemplifies how beauty can take on diverse forms and ought to be appreciated for what it is by embracing her actual self and defying social norms.
The stunning and gifted Jennifer Aniston shocked her fans and raised a lot of anxiety when she shared a picture of herself without makeup and revealing her scars.
Luckily, the picture was captured on the set of her movie Cake. She was thankful that she didn’t wear makeup and that she only needed makeup to cover up her scars on her face.
There was no denying Jennifer’s success in the movie; her intelligence and charm were evident once more. After watching this movie, I can’t wait to see more of Jennifer in upcoming roles because she is a very talented performer who is unique and radiantly beautiful.
She has proven time and time again that she is more than capable of enthralling us with her exquisite performances, therefore I consider myself fortunate to have experienced her continuing success in both film and television roles.
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