What is Chagas Disease? Causes, Symptoms & Prevention
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic infection that can be transmitted by certain types of blood-sucking insects called “triatoma” bugs. If left untreated, chronic Chagas disease can lead to heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms and sudden death. It is among the most common vector-borne diseases in the Americas, affecting up to 11 million people worldwide.
The main risk factors are having poor housing that allows for cockroach and rodent infestations, living with an infected person, or sleeping in a poorly maintained home with outdoor access such as a neglected garden apartment.
If you have been diagnosed with Chagas disease or think you may be at risk based on the information here and want to know more, read on to find out more about this nasty parasite and what you can do to protect yourself from infection…
What is Chagas Disease?
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic infection that can be transmitted by certain types of blood-sucking insects called “triatoma” bugs. The infection can also be transmitted via contaminated blood transfusions. The disease is named after the Brazilian physician who first described the condition in 1909, Carlos Chagas. Chagas disease is classified as a neglected tropical disease, with an estimated 11 million people infected worldwide, most of whom live in Latin America.
It is a leading cause of heart disease in the region, and its impact has been compared with that of HIV/AIDS. The parasite lives in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals (for example, opossums and rodents).
It can also be found in the saliva of the insects that transmit the disease by biting people and taking a blood meal. Infection occurs when an insect bites a person and injects the Chagas parasite into their bloodstream, or when the parasite is injected into the bloodstream through a blood transfusion.
What are the Causes of Chagas Disease?
Chagas disease is caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, which is carried and transmitted by certain blood-sucking insects called “triatoma” bugs. Triatoma bugs are found in the Southern and Central United States, particularly in dwellings with poor indoor maintenance. The insects often enter homes through open windows, doorways, or any other cracks or openings. They seek out dark, warm places such as inside the walls, behind furniture, or in beds and bedding where they can feed on blood from humans or other mammals.
The most common blood-sucking insects that transmit the disease are known as “kissing bugs” because they often bite people around the mouth area while they are sleeping. The bugs defecate while they feed, and the parasite can enter the skin through the feces. The parasites then travel to the bloodstream and can live there for the rest of a person’s life. The Chagas parasite can also be transmitted by blood transfusion or organ transplant, or from mother to child during pregnancy.
Symptoms of Chagas Disease
The symptoms of Chagas disease are different for each person, but they usually appear within two to six weeks after the bite of a contaminated bug. Early symptoms include swelling, pain, and itching or burning sensation at the site of the insect bite.
Some people with Chagas disease do not experience any early symptoms. If left untreated, chronic Chagas disease can lead to heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms, and sudden death.
How to Prevent Chagas Disease?
- Inspect your home for signs of infestation
- Check inside walls, behind furniture, and in bedding for the presence of these insects.
- Use insecticides
- Treat the inside and outside of your home with insecticides that kill triatoma bugs, such as pyrethroids, organophosphates, carbamates, and avermectins.
- Wash and dry your clothes in a hot dryer
- If you live in an area where Chagas disease is prevalent, you may want to wash and dry your clothes in a hot dryer to kill insects that may be on your clothes.
- Cover your bed.
- Cover your bed with a bed bug cover, and tuck the cover tightly under the mattress.
- Avoid kissing and eating while sleeping.
- Do not kiss people while sleeping, and do not eat in bed.
- Practice good hygiene.
- Practice good oral hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease.
Conclusion: How Fatal is Chagas Disease?
Chagas disease is a parasitic infection that can be transmitted by certain types of blood-sucking insects called “triadoma” bugs. It is among the most common vector-borne diseases in the Americas, affecting up to 11 million people worldwide.
The main risk factors are having poor housing that allows for cockroach and rodent infestations, living with an infected person, or sleeping in a poorly maintained home with outdoor access such as a neglected garden apartment. If you have been diagnosed with Chagas disease or think you may be at risk based on the information here and want to know more, read on to find out more about this nasty parasite and what you can do to protect yourself from infection.
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