Chagas disease

Home | Disease | Chagas disease

Chagas disease ( , , mal de Chagas in both languages; also called American trypanosomiasis) is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. T. cruzi is commonly transmitted to humans and other mammals by an insect vector, the blood-sucking bugs of the subfamily Triatominae (family Reduviidae) most commonly species belonging to the Triatoma, Rhodnius, and Panstrongylus genera.

The disease may also be spread through blood transfusion and organ transplantation, ingestion of food contaminated with parasites, and from a mother to her fetus.

The symptoms of Chagas disease vary over the course of an infection. In the early, acute stage, symptoms are mild and usually produce no more than local swelling at the site of infection. The initial acute phase is responsive to antiparasitic treatments, with 60-90% cure rates. After 4 � 8 weeks, individuals with active infections enter the chronic phase of Chagas disease that is asymptomatic for 60-80% of chronically infected individuals through their lifetime. The antiparasitic treatments also appear to delay or prevent the development of disease symptoms during the chronic phase of the disease, but 20-40% of chronically infected individuals will still eventually develop life-threatening heart and digestive system disorders. The currently available antiparasitic treatments for Chagas disease are benznidazole and nifurtimox, which can cause temporary side effects in many patients including skin disorders, brain toxicity, and digestive system irritation.

Chagas disease is contracted primarily in the Americas, particularly in poor, rural areas of Mexico, Central America, and South America; very rarely, the disease has originated in the Southern United States. The insects that spread the disease are known by various local names, including vinchuca in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay, barbeiro (the barber) in Brazil, pito in Colombia, chinche in Central America, chipo in Venezuela, chupança, chinchorro, and "the kissing bug". It is estimated that as many as 8 to 11 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America have Chagas disease, most of whom do not know they are infected. Large-scale population movements from rural to urban areas of Latin America and to other regions of the world have increased the geographic distribution of Chagas disease, and cases have been noted in many countries, particularly in Europe. Control strategies have mostly focused on eliminating the triatomine insect vector and preventing transmission from other sources.

Latest News : Chagas disease : Tweet this RSS

Want to Chagas disease latest news on your twitter account??? Chagas disease \|\| Disease \|\| Health
Identified compound can seemingly help fight Chagas' disease - HealthJockey.com HealthJockey.com--The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is apparently held responsible for -Chagas-' -disease- that has infected around 18 million people and caused up to 50000 deaths ... - Date : Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:10:40 GMT+00:00
Sweet-sounding 'kissing bugs' can take your breath away - msnbc.com (blog) msnbc.com (blog)--Properly known as triatomines, the long-feelered bugs common in the US southwest are known to carry the parasite that causes -Chagas disease-, a potentially ... - Date : Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:33:21 GMT+00:00
Illegals bringing in diseases--letter - Daily Herald Daily Herald--One new disease which makes TB look mild is known as -Chagas disease- which flourishes in Latin America and threatens the US blood supply in the future. ... - Date : Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:12:30 GMT+00:00
Dogs could help curtail Chagas disease - Times of India Times of India--A new study says that although dogs are the one of the main carriers of the -Chagas disease- parasite, they can also help health officials monitor the disease ... - Date : Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:17:20 GMT+00:00
Letters: Immigration - OregonLive.com (blog) OregonLive.com (blog)--It is now estimated that between 100000 and 500000 people in the US have -Chagas Disease-. Who is infected? Mostly illegal aliens. Since -Chagas Disease- is ... - Date : Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:14:37 GMT+00:00
Fear vs. blood bank - Attleboro Sun Chronicle Attleboro Sun Chronicle---...- human immunodeficiency virus, human T-lymphotropic virus, the hepatitis C virus, West Nile Virus and -Chagas-' -disease- are conducted on each unit donated. ... - Date : Thu, 22 Jul 2010 06:40:31 GMT+00:00
Kissing bugs yet to cause serious harm in Vietnam: institute - Thanh Nien Daily Thanh Nien Daily--However, so far Vietnam is yet to record any patient infected with the -Chagas disease- carried by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi living on the bugs, ... - Date : Sat, 03 Jul 2010 04:27:47 GMT+00:00
Students' research takes them abroad - Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona Daily Wildcat--Ancharski, who is currently in Peru, is researching a parasite that causes -Chagas disease-, which is spread by insects. “Studying abroad seems more like a ... - Date : Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:45:38 GMT+00:00
Blood sucking bugs appear in Ha Noi - AsiaOne AsiaOne--The bug can cause -Chagas disease- and atropical parasitic disease by transmitting the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi which affects the human immune system, ... - Date : Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:20:42 GMT+00:00
IDB to help reduce maternal-infant mortality in Peru - Andina - Agencia Peruana de Noticias Andina - Agencia Peruana de Noticias---...- coverage in vulnerable populations, early detection of Dengue fever and -Chagas disease-, and also to facilitate access to employment opportunities.--- - Date : Sun, 30 May 2010 15:52:11 GMT+00:00

Want to Chagas disease latest news on your twitter account???

Chagas disease

|| Disease

|| Health

Identified compound can seemingly help fight Chagas' disease - HealthJockey.com

HealthJockey.com--The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is apparently held responsible for -Chagas-' -disease- that has infected around 18 million people and caused up to 50000 deaths ... - Date : Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:10:40 GMT+00:00

Sweet-sounding 'kissing bugs' can take your breath away - msnbc.com (blog)

msnbc.com (blog)--Properly known as triatomines, the long-feelered bugs common in the US southwest are known to carry the parasite that causes -Chagas disease-, a potentially ... - Date : Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:33:21 GMT+00:00

Illegals bringing in diseases--letter - Daily Herald

Daily Herald--One new disease which makes TB look mild is known as -Chagas disease- which flourishes in Latin America and threatens the US blood supply in the future. ... - Date : Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:12:30 GMT+00:00

Dogs could help curtail Chagas disease - Times of India

Times of India--A new study says that although dogs are the one of the main carriers of the -Chagas disease- parasite, they can also help health officials monitor the disease ... - Date : Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:17:20 GMT+00:00

Letters: Immigration - OregonLive.com (blog)

OregonLive.com (blog)--It is now estimated that between 100000 and 500000 people in the US have -Chagas Disease-. Who is infected? Mostly illegal aliens. Since -Chagas Disease- is ... - Date : Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:14:37 GMT+00:00

Fear vs. blood bank - Attleboro Sun Chronicle

Attleboro Sun Chronicle---...- human immunodeficiency virus, human T-lymphotropic virus, the hepatitis C virus, West Nile Virus and -Chagas-' -disease- are conducted on each unit donated. ... - Date : Thu, 22 Jul 2010 06:40:31 GMT+00:00

Kissing bugs yet to cause serious harm in Vietnam: institute - Thanh Nien Daily

Thanh Nien Daily--However, so far Vietnam is yet to record any patient infected with the -Chagas disease- carried by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi living on the bugs, ... - Date : Sat, 03 Jul 2010 04:27:47 GMT+00:00

Students' research takes them abroad - Arizona Daily Wildcat

Arizona Daily Wildcat--Ancharski, who is currently in Peru, is researching a parasite that causes -Chagas disease-, which is spread by insects. “Studying abroad seems more like a ... - Date : Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:45:38 GMT+00:00

Blood sucking bugs appear in Ha Noi - AsiaOne

AsiaOne--The bug can cause -Chagas disease- and atropical parasitic disease by transmitting the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi which affects the human immune system, ... - Date : Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:20:42 GMT+00:00

IDB to help reduce maternal-infant mortality in Peru - Andina - Agencia Peruana de Noticias

Andina - Agencia Peruana de Noticias---...- coverage in vulnerable populations, early detection of Dengue fever and -Chagas disease-, and also to facilitate access to employment opportunities.--- - Date : Sun, 30 May 2010 15:52:11 GMT+00:00

Infectious diseases � Parasitic disease: protozoan infection: Excavata (A06-A07, B55-B57, 007, 085-086)

Discicristata

Infectious diseases � Parasitic disease: protozoan infection: Excavata (A06-A07, B55-B57, 007, 085-086)

Discicristata

Discicristata
subgroup \|groupstyle=background:PowderBlue; \|Trypanosomatida \|
Schizopyrenida
Naegleria fowleri (Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis)