Treatment of Chagas’ Disease — Time Is Running Out

Highly successful public health interventions in Latin America and widespread migration from rural areas to cities and countries where Trypanosoma cruzi is not endemic have markedly reduced the number of persons who are chronically infected with the protozoan parasite. However, 5 million to 6 million persons remain infected, and in at least 20% of these persons, chronic Chagas’ cardiomyopathy either is present or will develop. These persons are at high risk for heart failure, arrhythmias, and other life-threatening complications.1,2 Current recommendations call for antitrypanosomal treatment for most infected persons,3,4 but until now there has not been a randomized, . . .