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Ohio University researchers and students are fighting to prevent the dreaded Chagas disease in Ecuador and its spread to the United States. Each year, according to the World Health Organization, over 8 million people are infected with Chagas disease mostly in Latin America. However, nearly 300,000 people in the United States are also infected. The disease kills nearly 20,000 people each year. Additionally, some 15,000 babies are born infected with the disease. Chagas disease is spread by a parasite called the “kissing bug” and it is prevalent in southern Ecuador. It thrives in rural and overcrowded urban centers, according to Dr. Mario Grijalva, the director of the Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute at Ohio University. To prevent the spread of the disease, new housing units must be built for families to safely occupy. These units are free of the “kissing bugs.” Dr. Grijalva’s Institute has partnered with various academic units at Ohio University to raise awareness of Chagas disease and to help raise