A type of sleeping sickness found in South America, transmitted by insect bites which pass trypanosomes into the bloodstream. Children are mainly affected and if untreated the disease can cause fatal heart block in early adult life. [Described 1909. After Carlos Chagas (1879-1934), Brazilian scientist and physician.]
Disease, caused by a parasite (usually Trypanosoma cruzi) transmitted by the bite of an insect and characterized by a lesion at the site of the bite, fever, enlarged lymph glands, rapid heartbeat, and, in chronic form, abnormalities of the heart muscle, esophagus, or colon. The acute form usually resolves itself without treatment.
A potentially fatal infection caused by a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi. Chagas disease, also called American trypanosomiasis, is most common in low-income, rural areas of South and Central America. It has been reported in Texas in humans and domestic dogs. It is transmitted to humans by reduviid insects, which are also called “kissing bugs” or “assassin bugs” These insects live in cracks and holes in substandard housing, especially thatch, mud, or adobe houses, and become carriers of the infection upon biting an animal or person who has Chagas disease. The infection is then spread to humans when an infected insect deposits feces on a person’s skin. The feces may be accidentally rubbed into the wound formed by the insect’s bite or into an open cut, the eyes, or the mouth. The disease may also be transmitted from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus during pregnancy, at delivery, or when breastfeeding. It is sometimes contracted via blood transfusion or organ transplant or b y ingesting uncooked food contaminated with the feces of infected insects.
Chagas’ Disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a disease widespread in Central and South America, and caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease is transmitted by the biting bugs, Panstrongylus megistus and Triatoma infestans. It occurs in an acute and a chronic form. The former, which is most commen in children, practically always affects the heart, and the prognosis is poor. The chronic form is commonest in adolescents and young adults and the outcome depends upon the extent to which the heart is involved. There is no effective drug treatment.
This parasitic disease initially manifests as mild swelling at the infection site and subsequently remains asymptomatic for several years. However, it can later lead to severe complications affecting the heart and digestive system. The parasites responsible for this disease are predominantly prevalent in rural regions of Central and South America.
Chagas’ disease is an infectious parasitic illness exclusively found in specific regions of South and Central America. It is transmitted by insects commonly known as cone-nosed or assassin bugs. These parasites reside within the bloodstream and have the potential to impact the heart, intestines, and nervous system.
Symptoms of Chagas’ disease encompass lymph node swelling and fever. In the long run, complications may arise, such as heart damage. The drug nifurtimox is effective in killing the parasites, but it is accompanied by unpleasant side effects.
A serious illness commonly affecting children in Brazil, South American trypanosomiasis is caused by a protozoan parasite transmitted to humans through the bite of specific bugs.