King’s College Hospital have launched a screening service for the rare Chagas disease from Latin America, aimed at treating the pregnant and stopping them passing it to their children, writes Rich Brann…
Chagas disease is an infection spread by an insect in some Latin American countries, which can lie unnoticed for years or even decades and lead to heart or digestive problems if untreated, with symptoms including breathlessness, ankle swelling, dizziness, or collapse.
Dr Mauricio Arias, consultant in infectious diseases and microbiology at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “In pregnant women, Chagas disease can be passed to the baby by infected mothers.
“The good news is that if you are pregnant and your baby gets the infection, it can be cured with treatment, which is why detection is key.”
A study by the Lancet in 2025 estimated that there are more than 1,000 cases of Chagas disease in London, but with under 50 reported cases and symptoms not presenting for years, underdiagnosis is extremely high.
It’s estimated that the disease kills nearly 12,000 people annually worldwide due to the heart issues it can cause.
The same study identified Southwark as having one of the highest likely rates of Chagas disease, with the borough historically having a thriving Latin American community.
KCL’s screening service is aimed at pregnant people who were born in Latin America, or whose mother was born there, with treatment readily available on the NHS at no cost.
A separate screening service in Southwark is run by the Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation, with anyone born in Central America, South America or Mexico able to get tested and the service running until February 2026.
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For more information about Chagas disease, its long-term complications, and who is at risk, a health guide is available at GOV.UK.
