Ezequiel Caetano de Campos Dias (Macaé, Rio de Janeiro State 11 May 1880 – Belo Horizonte 22 October 1922)

Brother in Law of sanitarist Oswaldo Gonçalves Cruz

Performed studies on microbiology and experimental medicine

Described a stable antigen for complement-fixation reaction in leishmaniasis diagnosis

With A.M. da Cunha. Sur la préparation d’un antigene stable pour la réaction de fixation du complement dans le leishmanioses. C.R. Soc. Biol. 129:991-3, 1938. 

With A.M. Cunha proposed a serological reaction for visceral and /or cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brasil Medico 53:89-92, 1939

Described endemic adenomycosis, the ganglionar form of paracoccidioidomycosis 

Adenomicose endêmica, nova moléstia humana. Rev. Med. São Paulo 17:103, 1914

Honored in genus Diasiella Travassos 1949 (Trematoda)

His son Emmanuel Dias, Brazilian physician and parasitologist (Rio de Janeiro 27 July 1908 – Uberlândia, Minas Gerais State 22 October 1962)

Protégé of physician Carlos Chagas

Authored at least 154 works

Demonstrated definitely life cycle and mode of transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi (1933)

Described life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi in Triatoma infestans and in vertebrate hosts

Estudos sobre o Schizotrypanum cruzi. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz (1934)

Described new vertebrate hosts 

Individualized chronic Chagasic cardiopathy

With F. Laranja & G. Nóbrega. Clínica e terapêutica da doença de Chagas. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 4:473-529, 1948 

With F.S. Laranja, G. Nóbrega & A. Miranda. Chagas disease. A clinical, epidemiological and pathologic study. Circulation 14:1035, 1956

Established technical basis for Chagas disease prophylaxis employing residual action insecticides independent of Romaña and Abalos (i.e. Gammexane or BHC in 1947)

With J. Pellegrino. Alguns ensaios com o “Gammexane” no combate aos transmissores da doença de Chagas no Brasil. Brasil Médico 62:185-91, 1948.

Perfected the xenodiagnosis technique and the culture of Triatominae in laboratory

Técnica do xenodiagnóstico na moléstia de Chagas

First to propose the Chagas disease transmission by blood transfusion

Verified Trypanosoma cruzi transmission by digestive route in animals

First to apply the model of epidemiologic surveillance for Chagas disease control

With L. Freitas Filho. Introdução ao estudo biométrico dos hemoflagelados do gênero Schizotrypanum. I. Introdução, material e técnica, problemas e métodos estatísticos. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz 38(3):427-36, 1943