Chagas Disease Notes

Chagas Disease

• Newsletter purpose: To stimulate thought and self-help research.
• Chagas Disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.
• Vector: Hematophagous assassin bugs of the subfamily Triatominae, also known as "Kissing Bugs."
  • The insect bites, usually at night, and deposits feces near the bite.
  • The parasite is in the feces and is rubbed into the bite by the victim.
• Prevalence:
  • Most prevalent in Central and South America.
  • Becoming more common in North America.
  • Migration from rural to urban areas has increased cases in cities like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires (estimated 300,000, 200,000, and unknown number of infected individuals respectively).
  • An estimated 100,000 infected individuals living in the USA, mostly from Mexico and Central America.
• Information Resources:
  • www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Disease/Chagas.html
  • google.com (search "chagas disease")
• Effects:
  • In adults, acute infection of the heart, damaging the heart muscle.
  • Symptoms may subside within 4-8 weeks, but the disease progresses undiagnosed for 10-20 years.
  • Chronic heart disease develops as heart muscle is replaced by scar tissue, thinning the walls and affecting heart function, ultimately resulting in death.
  • The nervous system may also be affected, causing convulsions, paralysis, and brain damage.
• Clinical Features:
  • Example: 42-year-old man from rural Brazil with palpitations.
    • Electrocardiogram showing right bundle-branch block, left anterior hemiblock, anterior Q waves, and frequent premature ventricular contractions.
    • Two-dimensional echocardiogram shows an apical left ventricular aneurysm.