Revisiting the History of Chagas Disease: "Live to tell"

Abstract

In 1907, Carlos Chagas was designated to fight paludism in the Rio das Velhas region along the Central do Brasil railroad. During his field research, Chagas discovered a hematophagous insect (Panstrongylus megitus) carrying a new trypanosomatide, which he named Trypanosoma cruzi. On April 14th, 1909, he found the same parasite in the blood of a febrile child, submitting the announcement of his discoveries to the Brasil Médico scientific journal.Here, we discuss the early stages in the establishment of a new human morbid entity during the first decades after its discovery with a definite influence from its discoverer, Carlos Chagas, as well the first collaborators. Moreover, we cover the importance of the Center for the Study and Prophylaxis of Chagas Disease in Bambuí (MG), unraveling the most advanced developments in research within the disease's habitat and the widening perspectives for modern research that have emerged after the 1960s and continue to improve to this day.In this revisitation to the history of Chagas disease, we begin at Manguinhos (RJ ), making our way to Lassance (MG), where the discovery took place. Then, we travel back to Rio de Janeiro in the beginning of the twentieth century and Brazilian republic until the current day, revealing milestone publications that settled Chagas disease both as a source of pride for Brazilian medicine and as a challenge with important aspects that remain to be clarified. Any similarities to our country's politics and economy in the twentieth century are not mere coincidences. Carlos Chagas's research in the semi-arid region of Minas Gerais began in 1907 with the campaign against paludism in the Rio das Velhas river valley, aiming to save the lives of workers who worked in the expansion of the Central do Brasil railroad. The finding of a hematophagous insect (Panstrongylus megitus), strictly adapted to the domestic environment, with nocturnal habits and commonly known as the "barber bug" or "kissing bug" surprised Chagas, who intensified his research and found, in this insect, a new trypanosomatide named Trypanosoma cruzi. The further identification of T. cruzi in the blood of domestic animals and in the human blood directed Carlos Chagas to systematize a new human morbid entity.The choice of Carlos Chagas for the noble mission of battling malaria was due in great part to his strong scientific background on the theme with the completion, in Manguinhos, of his doctoral thesis named "Hematological studies of paludism," presented in 1903. This knowledge prompted him to systematize, in 1905, the household theory of infection by paludism. In 1907, Chagas participated in the group of scientists conducting the most brilliant research at the time, being designated to the anti-paludism campaign in Minas Gerais where, in Lassance, his path became the track for one of the most fascinating discoveries in the history of Medicine. Raquel Lewinsohn 1 and Berning 2 consider that Carlos Chagas, through his example, his life, and the aspects of his discovery, is unique in the hist...