CM. Chagas Disease: The new realities revisit old paradigms

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https://doi.org/10.47449/CM.2020.1.1.8

Walter Mosca, an experienced researcher from the Institute of Biomedicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, gives us an account of how the social changes of recent years in Venezuela, shifted the control of Chagas disease from the use of residual insecticides in rural and vulnerable dwellings to more intelligent measures addressed to urban houses. Professor Mosca warns us about the new modes of Chagas transmissions, such as those carried out by either visiting vectors such as Pastrongilus geniculatus, blood transfusion, and contaminated foods or beverages. This clever investigator admonishes future programs of control with the following sentence: «These new realities, brought to light paradigms that were not evident when the transmission by domiciled vectors was predominant: The reinfection of patients plays an important role in the evolution of the cardiac pathology of Chagas disease; visiting vectors could mediate relevant transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi, and the diagnosis based on the detection of antibodies may not have the required sensitivity for accurate diagnosis, thus further evaluation would be necessary to update them to the reality found after the CDCP [Chagas Disease Control Program].»

Rafael Rangel-Aldao, Editor

Professor, Walter Mosca

Professor, Walter Mosca Salvadore, graduated from the Jose Maria Vargas School of Medicine at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) in 1969. He was a Cardiology Research Fellow at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 1971-1973. Member of the TDR program of WHO from 1980 to 1986. Visiting Scientist of the Department of Tropical Public Health of Harvard University 1983-1984. Invited Professor at the University Francoise Rabelais Tours, France. Assessor of Research Project, “COLCIENCIAS- I.C.M.T. E INSTITUTO DE BIOMEDICINA”. Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, “Antonio Roldan Betancur” Coordinator of the Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Instituto de Biomedicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela. Was tutor of 22 undergraduate Works and 3 doctoral theses. He has published 52 articles in national and international journals, and five chapters of books. He is the recipient of the Order José María Vargas of the UCV. Among his publications, the following three shows his efforts to obtain a better understanding of the etiopathogenesis of the heart pathology of Chagas Disease. Mosca, W., Plaja, J., Hubsch, R. and Cedillos, R. «Longitudinal study of the immune response in human Chagas disease». J. Clinical Microbiol. 22,438-441, 1985. Mosca, W., Briceño L. & Hernández, M.I. «Cell-mediated immunity in Chagas’ disease. Trypanosoma cruzi antigens induce suppression of the in vitro proliferative response of mononuclear cells». Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 86 (1991) 147-152. Campos, Y., Briceño, L., Reina, K., Figarella, K., Pérez, J.L., Mosca, W. Serological diagnosis of Chagas´ disease: evaluation and characterization of a low-cost antigen with high sensitivity and specificity. Memorias Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 104:914-917

1 comentario en “CM. Chagas Disease: The new realities revisit old paradigms”

  1. Academia Nacional de Medicina

    Comentario recibido por correo electrónico, del autor Walter Mosca: Quisiera hacerle llegar mi felicitación a los promotores de esta iniciativa y a la directiva de la Academia Nacional de Medicina. Creo que esta iniciativa es muy importante en el momento histórico que está viviendo Venezuela y su futuro. Para poder construir una nueva realidad, el conocimiento y su generación será fundamental. Pero si el conocimiento no se difunde y se aplica, es de poca utilidad. Cuando esta locura termine, la realidad que tendremos que enfrentar es la de un país quebrado e instituciones fundamentales con limitaciones enormes. En esa situación será fundamental tener mecanismos para la rápida difusión de los estudios e investigaciones de los científicos de la nación. Este medio me parece ideal, es rápido, universal y sin costo para el autor. Me permito sugerirle a la Junta Directiva de la Academia Nacional de Medicina para que presente esta iniciativa a las otras Academias, y que conjuntamente implementen mecanismos similares para cada una de las Academias, o por grupos para que la generación de conocimiento a nivel nacional tenga una rápida difusión. Lo anterior debería coordinarse con los entes económicos para lograr que ese nuevo conocimiento pueda aplicarse en los entes productivos siempre que sea viable. De nuevo gracias. Dr. Walter Mosca, Instituto de Biomedicina, UCV

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