What is Chagas disease?<\/b> Also called American
\ntrypanosomiasis, Chagas disease is an infection caused by
\nthe parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Chagas disease primarily
\naffects low income people living in rural areas. It is
\nestimated that 16-18 million people are infected with
\nChagas disease; of those infected, 50,000 will die each
\nyear. Chagas disease is locally transmitted in Argentina,
\nBelize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,
\nEcuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana,
\nHonduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
\nSuriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.<\/p>\n
How do I get it?<\/b> Small critters called
\n“kissing bugs” that live in cracks and holes of
\nsubstandard housing primarily found in South and Central
\nAmerica. Insects become infected after biting an animal or
\nperson who already has Chagas disease. Infection is spread
\nto humans when an infected bug deposits feces on a person’s
\nskin, usually while the person is sleeping at night. The
\nperson often accidently rubs the feces into the bite wound,
\nan open cut, the eyes, or mouth.<\/p>\n
How do I know if I have it?<\/b> There are three
\nstages of infection with Chagas disease; each stage has
\ndifferent symptoms. Some people may be infected and never
\ndevelop symptoms. Acute symptoms only occur in about 1% of
\ncases and most people infected do not seek medical
\nattention. The most recognized symptom of acute Chagas
\ninfection is the Romaña’s sign, or swelling of the eye on
\none side of the face, usually at the bite wound or where
\nfeces were rubbed into the eye. Other symptoms are usually
\nnot specific for Chagas infection. These symptoms may
\ninclude fatigue, fever, enlarged liver or spleen, and
\nswollen lymph glands. Sometimes, a rash, loss of appetite,
\ndiarrhea, and vomiting occur. In infants and in very young
\nchildren with acute Chagas disease, swelling of the brain
\ncan develop in acute Chagas disease, and this can cause
\ndeath. In general, symptoms last for 4-8 weeks and then
\nthey go away, even without treatment.<\/p>\n
What should I do if I have Chagas disease?<\/b> See
\nyour doctor for a blood tests to determine whether there
\nare parasite or antibodies in your blood. Medication for
\nChagas disease is usually effective when given during the
\nacute stage of infection. Once the disease has progressed
\nto later stages, medication may be less effective. In the
\nchronic stage, treatment involves managing symptoms
\nassociated with the disease.<\/p>\n
How can I prevent Chagas disease?<\/b> Avoid sleeping
\nin thatch, mud, or adobe houses, and use insecticides to
\nkill insects and reduce the risk of transmission. There is
\nneither a vaccine nor recommended drug available to prevent
\nChagas disease.<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What is Chagas disease? Also called American trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease is an infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Chagas disease primarily affects low income people living in rural areas….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","css_class_manager_body_classes":"","css_class_manager_use_in_post_loop":false},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[64],"class_list":["post-1244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archive","category-main-article","tag-october-2003"],"yoast_head":"\n