COVID-19: Implications for People with Chagas Disease.

As the global COVID-19 pandemic advances, it increasingly impacts those vulnerable populations who already bear a heavy burden of neglected tropical disease. Chagas disease (CD), a neglected parasitic infection, is of particular concern because of its potential to cause cardiac, gastrointestinal, and other complications which could increase susceptibility to COVID-19. The over one million people worldwide with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy require special consideration because of COVID-19's potential impact on the heart, yet the pandemic also affects treatment provision to people with acute or chronic indeterminate CD.

WHF IASC Roadmap on Chagas Disease.

Background: Chagas Disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan , with some of the most serious manifestations affecting the cardiovascular system. It is a chronic, stigmatizing condition, closely associated with poverty and affecting close to 6 million people globally. Although historically the disease was limited to endemic areas of Latin America recent years have seen an increasing global spread.

Insights on human evolution: an analysis of Alu insertion polymorphisms.

We analyzed the genetic profile of 563 individuals from 12 geographically targeted human populations from Europe, Asia and Africa using 27 human-specific polymorphic Alu insertions. Phylogenetic analyses indicated a clear correspondence between genetic profiles and historical patterns of gene flow and genetic drift. Sub-Saharan African populations (Benin, Cameroon, Kenya and Rwanda) formed a visibly differentiated cluster, indicating the role of the Sahara desert as a strong natural barrier to gene flow.