What Is Chagas Disease?
Chagas' Disease is a deadly parasitic disease. Much of the literature written prior to 2005 or 2006 states that Chagas' is primarily a concern for inhabitants of Central and South American Countries and Mexico. In recent years however, there has been significant population migration of those from endemic countries into the United States and Europe. This had led to increased risks for populations in Europe and the US as the disease spreads outside the traditional geographic boundaries.
It is estimated that 25-30% of infected individuals will suffer irreversible cardiac, neurological, or gastrointestinal problems resulting in death.
Chagas' disease threatens over 120 million people in 21 countries, yet is relatively unknown to the general public.
Symptoms may be varied and many physicians underdiagnose the disease, making it difficult to accurately predict the actual depth of the problem. Parasites invade internal organs and slowly cause affected organs to enlarge and even burst. Further adding to the seriousness of the disease is the fact that once infected, patients may not experience symptoms or death for 10, 20, or even up to 30 years, and the cause of death may mistakenly be attributed to heart failure or other organ failure because Chagas' testing was never performed
In Brazil, Chagas' disease is the leading cause of Chagas disease is also the leading cause of cardiac faliure for men age 20-40 in Brazil
Photos of Kissing Bugs – Carrier of the Chagas’ Disease Parasite
Kissing bugs may also be called "bloodsuckers, "conenose bugs", assassin bugs, or "vinchuca".
Order: Hemiptera, family: Reduviidae.
Chagas Disease in Organ Transplant Recipients
Officials confirm 3 Cases of Chagas Disease - Trypansoma cruzi (T.cruzi) in Organ Transplant Recipients
In a March 15, 2002 report from Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) there was a report of a 37 year old woman dying approximately 7 months after receiving kidney and pancreas organ transplants from a cadaver. The woman had transplant surgery on March 5th, 2001, and returned to the hospital on April 19th, complaining of illness. Testing at that time revealed T.cruzi parasites in the woman's blood. She was treated with nifurtimox but in October, 2001, died of the disease.
Two other patients were reported to have contracted the disease. One died of complications reportedly unrelated to Chagas disease, and the other, a 69 year old woman, was reportedly treated and at the time of the report, was said to be doing well.
Chagas' disease in humans may not develop into a lethal condition until decades following initial infection, therefore obtaining accurate statistics of patients with advanced stages of Chagas' disease may be difficult.
T. cruzi infection may be transmitted also by blood tranfusion because the parasite may live for at least 18-21 days in refrigerated blood. The parasites may also, according to some experts, survive freezing and thawing.
Some researchers have theorized that the risk of collecting T. cruzi infected blood is highest in the areas of the US where the greatest number of Latin American Immigrants have settled. However, blood units infected with T. Cruzi may be found in any are of the US, because blood components are shipped frequently between varying georgraphic regions of the United States.
In stark contrast to the US policy of not screening the United States Blood supply for T. Cruzi, in Argentina, Brazil, Honduras, Uruguay and Venuzuala blood bank screening is required by law.
Chagas Disease – the Killer Disease – Should you Learn More?
Fast Facts:
Chagas Disease affects approximately 20 million worldwide, killing 50,000 each year, yet is practically unknown to most in the general public in the US.
If infected, you may not even know initially you have Chagas disease. It can slowly destroy your internal organs, and if you do not die from the acute stage, can cause death in the chronic stage, 10-20 years later.
Chagas is spreading worldwide -- due to lack of knowledge and indifference.
Endemic in 21 countries, with 18-20 million infected and another 120 million people at risk
- 25% of the population of Latin America is at risk of acquiring Chagas Disease
- More than 100,000 Latin American immigrants living in the United States are chronically infected and a potential source of transmission of the disease by means of blood transfusions
- The disease is lethal, especially for children, and debilitates patients for years.
- Previously thought to be endemic in Mexico, South and Latin America, other areas of the world such as the US and Europe are considering testing all blood donations for the parasite, T. cruzi, for the parasite that causes the disease due to travel patterns and rural migrations of populations to urban areas.
- Infected triatomine bugs, that transmit T.cruzi, are found in North, Central and South America. Blood banks in selected cities of the continent vary between 3.0 and 53.0% -making the prevalence of T. cruzi infected blood higher than that of Hepatitis B, C, and HIV infection
- In parts of South America, Chagas' heart disease is the leading cause of death in men less than 45 years of age.
- Blood transfusions in the US should be screened for antibodies to T.Cruzi; currently U.S. blood banks do not routinely conduct this screening.
- Numerous acute and chronic cases of the disease have been reported in domestic dogs in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Carolina and Virginia
- It is not known how many dogs or humans in the US actually have the disease due to lack of testing and reporting
- The disease may be transmitted by the bite of an infected triaomine, (reduviid, "kissing", or "assassin") bugs, or through blood transfusion or transplacentally
- In Texas infection rates in kissing bugs are reported to be 17-48%, in other states infection rates may not be known due to lack of knowledge about the disease and inadequate studies with regards to sampling bugs for the disease
- The kissing bugs, or carriers of this disease, could be as close as your backyard.