Deaths from Chagas disease in Brazil are decreasing, although slowly. In the last decade, the statistics dropped from 4 people a year out of every 100 thousand to less than 3. It is estimated that 2 to 3 million people in the country are infected by the flagellate protozoan that causes the disease. The only region where the rate increased is the Northeast (PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, February 2012). Alberto Ramos Jr., Jorg Heukelbach and their team from the Federal University of Ceará evaluated 9 million death certificates recorded between 1999 and 2007. According to the study, the pattern of transmission has changed thanks to the eradication of the main carrier – the Triatoma infestans insect. To lower the rates further, an investment against the secondary carriers and transmission through contaminated food would be necessary.
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