Grant: Operating Grant

Chagas' disease is caused by the bite of a mosquito that transmits the parasite known as Trypanosoma Cruzi. This is a disease that affects more than 10 million people in Latin America and with the increase in immigration there is the potential to see some cases in Canada. Once the individual is infected susceptible individuals will develop severe cardiac complications that occur in 20% to 30% of infected individuals. The most frequent manifestation is chronic heart failure characterized by severe shortness of breath and marked exercise limitation. The disease has a rapid course and a high mortality due to heart failure and sudden cardiac death being the most frequent causes of death. To date no specific therapy is available to delay or halt the progression of heart damage. Recently the parasite has been closely linked to the progression of the disease and the use of an antitrypanosomal drug such as Benznidazole has been suggested but never tested in the setting of a large clinical trial. This study will assess whether the administration of Benznidazole in patients with established Chagas' heart disease reduces the progression of the cardiac involvement. The BENEFIT Pilot trial is currently being conducted in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Colombia and over 1700 patients have been recruited, demonstrating the safety and feasibility of this study. This renewal request will focus on the long-term follow-up, and completion of recruitment (2700)and establish whether treatment will erradicate or reduce the amount of parasites in chronically infected people and thereby halt or reduce the progression of this devastating disease.