One Bug, One Bite, One Life

The volunteers
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Another one of our projects this summer.. this time health promotion

Chagas disease, also known as American Trypanosomiasis, is increasingly becoming a public health concern in Belize. Trypanosomiasis is a flagellated protozian parasite, commonly found in Central America. These protozoans are transmitted to humans by the vector bug known as Triatoma dimidiata locally know as the bush chinch or stink bug. Symptoms are non specific usually fever, malaise, headache and unilateral swelling around the eye (chagoma or Romana sign). If left untreated this disease enters a chronic stage causing cardiac problems and CNS complications. Infections in humans have been reported to occur in this country among residents of Toledo district in the South and in the village of Valley of Peace, Cayo district, in the West, but the disease is still largely undocumented in Belize

“So how do we stop this bug from biting us?”, “What it look like?” “Where can we get more information?”

Yes thats my name on the TV!
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“So how do we stop this bug from biting us?”, “What it look like?” “Where can we get more information?”

The phones at the TV studio just kept ringing, and these are just a few of the questions ProBelize girls Megan, Shawna and Lindsay were able to answer on National TV in Belize. Health promotion in Belize is vital to inform the public and help prevent diseases like Chagas Disease, spread by the Chinch Bug, from spreading.

Their slogan “One Bug, One Bite, One Life” is becoming well known through the Cayo Area, particularly in the village of KonTiki where the volunteers have been focusing their promotion. After an hour long interview on the “Pandy Show”, the longest running TV show in Belize, the girls know that if just one extra person could identify the Chinch Bug, then they have had the desired effect