Meet Ana Maria - Chagas Disease Patient Case Study

Pictured is a Triatomine bug (aka “Kissing Bug”), a vector for Chagas disease. Credit: CDC/ Gary D. Alpert, Ph.D., Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences

In 2024 Culmore Clinic was the site of a clinical trial for a drug to treat adults with Chagas disease. Chagas, which is common in Central and South America, has been increasing in regions of the US with immigrant populations. Chagas is brought on by an insect bite and the release of a parasite into the bloodstream. Left untreated, Chagas disease can cause serious heart and digestive problems. As a result of this clinical trial, Ana Maria, a young mother in her early 30s, became a patient at Culmore Clinic. In addition to securing the testing necessary to diagnose her disease, Ana Maria, whose case was quite advanced, received on-site cardiology services leading to a referral to receive a pacemaker. Today her condition is not only managed in The Clinic, but she is also benefiting from a single patient protocol of the trial drug, all facilitated by the clinical team at Culmore Clinic.