Chagas disease and domestic medical screening guidance for newly arrived individuals under a humanitarian-based immigration status: A call for action

by Agudelo Higuita NI, Franco-Paredes C, Henao-Martínez AF, Beatty NL, Manne-Goehler J, Forsyth CJ. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2022; 107(5):960-963. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.22-0309

Summary: Every year, thousands of migrant people from Latin America and throughout the globe travel to the US– Mexico border searching for asylum. Given their route of travel and living conditions during their journey, they are at risk for transmission of T. cruzi infection, however, the US CDC’s Guidance for the U.S. Domestic Medical Examination for Newly Arriving Refugees does not cover Chagas disease. In this perspective, the authors encourage the inclusion of screening recommendations for Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, as an important step toward understanding the risk and burden of Chagas disease in this vulnerable population, strengthening their access to care and contributing to the 2030 objectives of the WHO’s neglected tropical diseases road map.

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