What happens physically to a person who gets Chagas?

Heart failure. Sudden cardiac arrest. Difficulty swallowing due to enlarged esophagus. Stomach pain or constipation due to enlarged colon.


What body systems are affected by Chagas disease?

Chagas disease is an infectious disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease mainly affects the nervous system, digestive system and heart.

What does the kissing bug do to its human victims?

Because they tend to bite people's faces, triatomine bugs are also known as “kissing bugs”. After they bite and ingest blood, they defecate (poop) on the person. The person can become infected if T. cruzi parasites in the bug feces enter the body through mucous membranes or breaks in the skin.


How long can you live with Chagas?

If untreated, infection is lifelong. Acute Chagas disease occurs immediately after infection, and can last up to a few weeks or months. During the acute phase, parasites may be found in the circulating blood. This phase of infection is usually mild or asymptomatic.

What does Chagas do to the heart?

The pathology of Chagas disease is based in an inmunoinflammatory reaction producing fibrosis and remodelling, mainly in the myocardium. In many cases these mechanisms result in a dilated cardiomyopathy with HF and reduced ejection fraction, frequent cardiac arrhythmias and different types of heart block.


KILLER DISEASES | How Chagas Disease Affects the Body



Does Chagas affect the brain?

The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) during human acute and chronic Chagas disease (CD) has been largely reported. Meningoencephalitis is a frequent finding during the acute infection, while during chronic phase the CNS involvement is often accompanied by behavioral and cognitive impairments.

Can Chagas disease be detected by blood test?

The diagnosis of Chagas disease can be made by observation of the parasite in a blood smear by microscopic examination. A thick and thin blood smear are made and stained for visualization of parasites.

Can you be cured of Chagas disease?

Treatment. To kill the parasite, Chagas disease can be treated with benznidazole or nifurtimox. Both medicines are nearly 100% effective in curing the disease if given soon after infection at the onset of the acute phase, including the cases of congenital transmission.


What is the major concern for chronic Chagas disease patients?

Chagas disease can cause both sudden (acute) and long-term (chronic) symptoms. People can be infected for a long time without showing symptoms. Without treatment, serious complications, including heart and intestinal tract problems, are possible.

What do Chagas bites look like?

Chagomas look red and swollen. If the T. cruzi parasite enters your body through the conjunctiva, it may cause swelling of the upper and lower eyelid. This response is known as Romaña's sign.

What are the symptoms of Chagas disease in humans?

Symptoms
  • Swelling at the infection site.
  • Fever.
  • Fatigue.
  • Rash.
  • Body aches.
  • Eyelid swelling.
  • Headache.
  • Loss of appetite.


Do kissing bugs live in beds?

Kissing bugs can hide in cracks and holes in beds, floors, walls, and furniture. They are most likely to be found: Near places where a pet, such as a dog or cat, spends time. In areas where mice or other rodents live.

Does the kissing bug smell?

Kissing bugs start their life without wings and are less than 1/10 of an inch in size, but grow wings and become bigger as adults (3/4 - 1 1/4 inch). Adults can produce a strong odor when bothered, similar to stink bugs.

Who is most affected by Chagas disease?

Chagas disease is common in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America where an estimated 8 million people are infected.


How long does it take to get Chagas?

After the incubation period of 1 to 2 weeks, infected patients enter the acute phase of Chagas disease. Transfusion- and transplant-associated cases may have a longer incubation period, sometimes up to 120 days.

Can ivermectin cure Chagas disease?

In conclusion, although ivermectin treatment may have a transient effect on peridomestic populations of Triatominae, it is not the treatment of choice for this situation.

How fatal is Chagas disease?

About 70-80% of people will remain asymptomatic for life and never develop Chagas-related symptoms. However, an estimated 20–30% of infected people will develop health problems years to decades later that are often fatal.


How long does the chronic phase of Chagas disease last?

The natural history of Chagas disease is divided into two phases, acute and chronic. The acute phase lasts approximately 8 weeks, and usually causes mild or no symptoms. Patients with chronic Chagas disease have lifelong infection in absence of treatment.

Should I get tested for Chagas?

A specific test is necessary for the diagnosis of Chagas disease. The test detects the presence of the infection through analysis of a blood sample. Anyone who suspects that they may have Chagas disease should ask their doctor to order this test.

Is Chagas disease an STD?

Conclusions: Evidence that Chagas disease can be transmitted sexually, coupled with the migration of individuals with Chagas disease to previously non-endemic countries and increased travel to endemic countries, has implications for public health.


What type of drug would you use to treat Chagas?

The two drugs used to treat infection with T. cruzi are nifurtimox and benznidazole. Benznidazole is approved by FDA for use in children 2–12 years of age and is available from www.benznidazoletablets.com .

Where do kissing bugs hide during the day?

Kissing bugs are found in warm southern states of the U.S. and in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Kissing bugs can hide in cracks and holes in beds, floors, walls, and furniture. They are most likely to be found: Near places where a pet, such as a dog or cat, spends time.

What states have kissing bugs?

Most of the world's kissing bugs are in Central and South America and Mexico. They've also been found in the United States in the lower 28 states, with higher concentrations in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. Kissing bugs have been spotted a far north as Delaware, Ohio and Pennsylvania.


What percentage of kissing bugs carry Chagas?

Up to 60% of kissing bugs carry the parasite that causes Chagas, compared with only 0.1% of mosquitos that carry dengue, an infectious disease occurring in tropical areas. Although more than half of kissing bugs carry the disease-causing parasite, Hamer said it's still difficult for a person to be infected.

What kills the kissing bug?

If you do come across a triatomine, don't kill it, the CDC recommends. Instead, capture it with a container and either fill it with rubbing alcohol or freeze it.
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