The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent some of the most common infections of the poorest people living in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC). Because they primarily afflict the poor as well as selected indigenous populations and people of African descent, the NTDs in LAC are largely forgotten diseases. Yet, their collective disease burden may exceed better known conditions such as of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, or malaria. Based on their prevalence and healthy life years lost from disability, hookworm infection, other soil-transmitted helminth infections and Chagas disease are the most...

Neglected tropical diseases represent some of the most common infections of the poor in Latin American and the Caribbean. Each chapter of this book covers a major disease, focusing on disease burden, major manifestations and approaches to control.