A nighttime “kiss” from a bug that casts a curse on its recipient in the form of a lifelong, and possibly fatal, illness. No, this isn’t some half-remembered fairy tale. It’s the true story of Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by many species of triatomines (aka kissing bugs). In this episode, we take you through the utterly complicated biology of Chagas disease in its acute and chronic forms, the surprising evolutionary and historical background of this parasite and the scientist for whom it’s named, and finally the grim reality that is the global status of Chagas disease today.
The dizzying ecological complexity and pathophysiological mystery of this disease makes it a challenge to study, and the lack of funding only compounds the issue; Chagas disease bears the dubious distinction of the most neglected of all the neglected tropical diseases. In spite of this, many people are dedicated to easing the global burden of Chagas disease, and we were delighted to interview two of these Chagas champions for this episode. Daisy Hernandez, Associate Professor at Miami University, joins us to discuss the inspiration for her recent book The Kissing Bug: A True Story of a Family, an Insect, and a Nation’s Neglect of a Deadly Disease, and Dr. Sarah Hamer, Associate Professor at Texas A&M University, delves into the ecological aspects of this disease and shares the incredible community science program that raises awareness about T. cruzi and the bugs that transmit it.
To learn more, check out the links below:
Daisy Hernandez: website, Twitter (@daisyhernandez), Instagram (@iamdazeher), Facebook
Dr. Sarah Hamer: lab website, lab Twitter (@hamer_lab), Community Science Program
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Ep 22 Belladonna will dilate your mind: Crossover w/ IDOP
Ep 21 Measles: The Worst Souvenir
Ep 20 Prions: Apocalypse Cow
Ep 19 Scurvy: Thanks a lot, evolution.
Ep 18 Hantavirus: The Real Rat Race
Ep 17 Oh No Tetrodo: Crossover w/ TBOSP
Ep 16 Scratch and Sniff Diphtheria Membrane
Ep 15 MRSA: Make Resistance Susceptible Again
Ep 14 Rabies: Don't dilute me, bro
Ep 13 Don't Tread on my Monkshood: Crossover w/ IDOP
Special Episode: HIV/AIDS
Ep 12 HIV/AIDS: Apathy Will Kill You
Ep 11 Ebola: The New Kid on the Block
Ep 10 Yellow Fever: Is there a Hamilton song about this?
Ep 9 Tuberculosis: A Slow Burn
Ep 8 ABRACADABRA - Go Away Malaria!
Ep 7 Hit Me With Your Best (Polio) Shot
Ep 6 Plague Part 2: TGFA
Ep 5 Plague Part 1: The GMOAT
Ep 4 The Poop Show
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