Born on April 14
World Chagas Disease Day
Shine a light on a silent disease.
Next: April 14, 2027
Where it comes from
On 14 April 1909, in the small town of Lassance in Minas Gerais, Brazil, the doctor Carlos Chagas found a parasite in the blood of a feverish two-year-old girl named Berenice.
How it's celebrated
WHO, health ministries and patients' associations use the day to make visible what WHO calls a 'silent and silenced disease': most people infected have mild symptoms or none, and many are poor and far from health care. They hold talks and awareness campaigns about prevention, testing and treatment.
Did you know
The insects that spread it are triatomine bugs, called 'kissing bugs' in English because they often bite people on the face while they sleep.
Read the full story of World Chagas Disease Day
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