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Centuries of evolution and natural selection would have favored genetic mutations in the inhabitants of the Amazon basin that prevent the parasite that causes Chagas disease from penetrating humans in the same way. This ailment, considered a neglected disease, wreaks havoc in other regions of Latin America.
For the first time, there is evidence that a pathogen generated a genetic evolution in the population of the American continent. They were found by a team of researchers led by Tábita Hünemeier, from the University of São Paulo, and published in the journal Science: the indigenous populations of the Amazon, especially the Brazilian Amazon, have genetic mutations that protect them against Chagas infection.
It is not only one of the most neglected diseases in the world, but it is one of the oldest in America. Mummies that were infected with Chagas disease have been found in Brazil, Peru and Chile between 7,000 and 9,000 years ago, that is, it circulated on the continent long before colonization.
The team of researchers believe that the process of natural selection began to favor the Amazonian population that had mutations against Chagas around 7,500 years ago. Today, the prevalence of these mutations is more than 80% in various regions of Brazil in the Amazon ecosystem.
Precisely, the areas where the vast majority of the population has this genetic differentiation are the ones that report the fewest cases of Chagas disease: the disease especially affects the Andean and mountainous areas, where it wreaks havoc.
To reinforce their conclusions, the researchers studied how a culture of cells whose DNA had the mutation responded to the Chagas parasite compared to a culture of cells without this genetic differentiation. One day after exposure to the parasites, the mutation culture had 25% fewer pathogens.
Although there is still a long way to go to fully understand how genetics works against Chagas disease, this study could be the first step to better understand a neglected disease, which has treatments, but for example still does not have a vaccine.
This, despite the fact that it affects six million people in the world and each year causes 30,000 new infections and 12,000 fatalities. Despite the fact that 70% of people have an asymptomatic disease, 30% go on to develop serious cardiovascular and intestinal problems.
Chagas disease is considered a disease that contributes to the impoverishment of the rural and already vulnerable population: only 10% of cases are diagnosed and only 1% access treatment. Without medication, a large percentage of patients will develop disabling pictures of the disease and, therefore, impoverishing.
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