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An Ohio University professor rode a motorcycle across South America as part of his research into Chagas disease
By: David Forster
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Chagas is a life-threatening disease caused by a parasite that infects about 7.5 million people, mostly in the American continent.
Mario Grijalva is director of the Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute and professor of microbiology at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University. He rode a motorcycle thousands of miles through South America, visiting areas where Chagas disease is widespread and posted weekly YouTube videos about his travels along the way.
He sat down to speak with WOUB’s David Forster for “Modern Science.”
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
On how Chagas disease affects the body
“Chagas disease is caused by a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi.
“When it gets into the body it affects mainly the heart and is one of the leading causes of heart disease in the region.”
Why Grijalva chose this disease to research
“Chagas is part of a group of diseases called neglected tropical diseases that affect a lot of people. We have treatments. We have a way to prevent it. But because it affects vulnerable populations, it is really difficult to fight it.”
On riding a motorcycle across South America to study Chagas
“I decided to learn how to ride a motorcycle, got my license and started learning how also to produce videos and how to become a YouTuber.
“When you’re on a motorcycle, you are out there, you are vulnerable, you are exposed to everything and everything feels more real. But also it makes you more accessible to the people. At every stop along the way, and it was a long way, about 18,000 miles, people would come to me and ask me where are you from? Where are you going? How come you’re here? We talked about everything from food to culture, but also about their experience with Chagas disease.”
On a standout experience during his journey
“I was in the city of Sucre in Bolivia. I had to go to a mechanic again because I had a breakdown in the motorcycle and a person that was waiting for his motorcycle to be fixed started talking to me.
“It turns out that he had Chagas. He thought Chagas was an incurable disease and he thought that Chagas disease was a death sentence. Through our conversation, he realized that Chagas disease has a treatment. That encouraged him to follow up with his physician and seek treatment and bring life back to him. Life, right? He’s not going to die anymore. He got treated.”
Why parts of South America struggle to deal with Chagas disease
“There is a lot of incomplete information, so it varies by country. In Bolivia, everybody knows about Chagas disease, but not everybody has the correct information. They don’t know that it can be treated. They don’t know that it’s easy to diagnose. They don’t know that treatment is free and is provided by the government. So all of those are communication needs.
“That is what my project is about, to raise awareness that Chagas disease exists, it is important. We as a society have to take responsibility for ourselves and for those that cannot help themselves because they live in circumstances that expose them to the risks.”
The first draft of the transcript used for this story was created in Adobe Podcast, which includes an AI transcription tool. A WOUB News Editor then reviewed, corrected and reformatted the transcript before publication.