Challenges and advancements in the development of vaccines and therapies against Chagas disease.

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, presents a substantial global health burden, affecting millions of individuals worldwide and posing a continual risk of infection. Despite the high mortality and morbidity rates, effective vaccines to prevent infection by the parasite remain elusive, and the drugs currently available are suboptimal. Understanding the intricate dynamics of parasite-host interactions and the resulting immune responses, which contribute to both protection and pathology, is crucial for the development of effective vaccines and therapies against Chagas disease.

Quality assurance of serologic testing for Chagas disease in a primary care setting of rural Paraguay.

The diagnosis of Chagas disease mostly relies on the use of multiple serologic tests that are often unavailable in many of the remote settings where the disease is highly prevalent. In the Teniente Irala Fernández Municipality, in central Paraguay, efforts have been made to increase the diagnostic capabilities of specific rural health centres, but no quality assurance of the results produced has been performed. We comparatively analysed the results obtained with 300 samples tested using a commercial rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) at the laboratory of the Teniente Irala Fernández Health Center (CSTIF) with those generated upon repeating the tests at an independent well-equipped research laboratory (CEDIC).