ISSN: 2044-9038 (Print) 2044-9046 (Electronic)

Clinical Practice

Chagas Diseases

 Chagas ailment, likewise alluded to as American trypanosomiasis, may be a tropical parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. It is spread mostly by insects referred to as Triatominae, or "kissing bugs".  In the early stage, symptoms are typically either not present or mild, and should include fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, or swelling at the location of the bite. After four to eight weeks, individuals enter the chronic phase of disease, which in most cases doesn't end in further symptoms. Up to 45% of individuals develop heart condition 10–30 years after the initial infection, which may cause coronary failure. Digestive complications, including an enlarged esophagus or an enlarged colon, can also occur in up to 21% of individuals, and up to 10% of individuals may experience nerve damage. T. cruzi is commonly spread to humans and other mammals by the bite of a kissing bug. The disease can also be spread through transfusion, organ transplantation, eating food contaminated with the parasites, and vertical transmission. Diagnosis of early disease is by finding the parasite within the blood employing a microscope or detecting its DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Chronic disease is diagnosed by finding antibodies for T. cruzi in the blood. It affects more than 150 types of animals. Other preventive efforts include screening blood used for transfusions.[1] As of 2019, a vaccine has not been developed. Early infections are treatable with the medications benznidazole or nifurtimox, which usually cure the disease if given shortly after the person is infected but subsided effective the longer a person has had Chagas disease. When utilized in chronic disease, medication may delay or prevent the event of end–stage symptoms. Benznidazole and nifurtimox often cause side effects, including skin disorders, gastrointestinal system irritation, and neurological symptoms, which may end in treatment being discontinued. As of 2019, new drugs for Chagas disease are under development, and experimental vaccines have been studied in animal models.    

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