whats mal de chagas?

Question

i'm reading this book and it mentioned this disease known as "mal de chagas" its like in central and some south american countries

but does anyone know what it is?
i mean, what are the symptoms?
how's it transmitted?
long/short term effects?
who discovered it and
how is it treated?

okay, thanx for help, really appreciate it, websites are a plus, but whoever answers all the questions soonest gets the 10 points,

i'm checking this in an hour,

once again, THANX!!!!

Answer 1

Chagas disease is found only in Latin America. It is named after Carlos Chagas, a Brazilian doctor who first described the disease in 1909. He also described the life-cycle of the parasite, identified the insects that transmit the parasite, identified small mammals that act as reservoir hosts, and suggested means to help prevent of its transmission.

Parasites are transmitted to humans in 3 ways:

1) By bloodfeeding "Assassin bugs’ (sub-family Triatominae), which live in cracks and crevices of poor-quality houses, usually in rural areas. They emerge at night to bite and suck blood. The faeces of the insects contain parasites which can enter the wound left after the bloodmeal, usually when it is scratched or rubbed

2) Through transfusion with infected blood

3) Congenitally, from infected mother to foetus

Usually a small sore develops at the bite where the parasite enters the body. If this is near the eye, the eyelid becomes swollen (known as Romaña’s sign). Within a few days, fever and swollen lymph nodes may develop. This initial acute phase may cause illness and death, especially in young children. More commonly, patients enter a symptomless phase lasting several months or years, during which time parasites are invading most organs of the body, often causing heart, intestinal and oesophageal damage and progressive weakness. In 32% of those infected, fatal damage to the heart and digestive tract occurs during this chronic phase.

1) Treatment of homes with residual insecticides
2) Blood screening to prevent transmission through transfusion

3) Drug treatment for acute early indeterminate and congenital cases

4) House improvement (substituting plastered walls and a metal roof for adobe-walled, thatch-roofed dwellings).


For therapy, two drugs (nifurtimox and benznidazole) can be used for the early chronic phase.

T. cruzi antigens can stimulate autoimmunity, so the prospects for an effective vaccine are slim.

Control relies on killing vector insects in houses, improving housing to render them unsuitable for colonization by vector insects, and comprehensive health education initiatives. Travellers can avoid the disease by not sleeping in infested housing and ensuring that any transfusions are with blood that have been screened.

Global Burden of Disease

Disease burden:
649,000 DALYs

Deaths: 13,000

Related websites

PAHO Chagas disease page

WHO Chagas disease index page

CDC Chagas disease page

World Health Report 2001

Answer 2

Also called American trypanosomiasis (tri-PAN-o-so-MY-a-sis), Chagas’ disease is an infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It is estimated that as many as 11 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America have Chagas disease, most of whom do not know they are infected. If unrecognized and untreated, even silent infection is life long and can be life threatening.

Answer 3

Chagas disease (also called American trypanosomiasis) is a human tropical parasitic disease which occurs in the Americas, particularly in South America.

Answer 4

s a human tropical parasitic disease which occurs in the Americas, particularly in South America. Its pathogenic agent is a flagellate protozoan named Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to humans and other mammals mostly by hematophagous assassin bugs of the subfamily Triatominae (Family Reduviidae). Those insects are known by numerous common names varying by country, including benchuca, vinchuca, kissing bug, chipo and barbeiro. The most common insect species belong to the genera Triatoma, Rhodnius, and Panstrongylus. Other forms of transmission are possible, though, such as ingestion of food contaminated with parasites, blood transfusion and fetal transmission.

Answer 5

Chagas disease is a tropical disease transmitted by the bite of a blood-sucking insect. It's most often found in children. It can lead to abnormal enlargement of the esophagus (megaesophagus) and colon (megacolon), and congestive heart failure.

Answer 6

If it is a PARASITIC infection...then it is not only confined to South America....with all the travel by North Americans to that part of the world...

It may be the cause of IBS, and Crohns, and most doctors in North America don't have a clue about it....ie believing it is constrained to South America

Answer 7

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal_de_Chagas

Answer 8

something about bugs/