Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to animals and people by insect vectors that are found only in the Americas (mainly, in rural areas of Latin America where poverty is widespread). Chagas disease (T. cruzi infection) is also referred to as American trypanosomiasis.
It is estimated that as many as 8 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America have Chagas disease, most of whom do not know they are infected. If untreated, infection is lifelong and can be life threatening.
The impact of Chagas disease is not limited to only rural areas of Latin America in which vectorborne transmission (diseases transmitted by insects) occurs. Large-scale population movements from rural to urban areas of Latin America and to other regions of the world have increased the geographic distribution and changed the epidemiology of Chagas disease. In the United States and in other regions where Chagas disease is now found but is not endemic, control strategies should focus on preventing transmission from blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and mother-to-baby (congenital transmission).
How do people get Chagas disease?
People can become infected in several ways. In areas where Chagas disease is common, the main way is through vectorborne transmission. The insect vectors are called triatomine bugs. These blood-sucking bugs get infected with T. cruzi by biting an infected animal or person. Once infected, the bugs pass the parasites in their feces. The bugs are found in houses made from materials such as mud, adobe, straw, and palm thatch. During the day, the bugs hide in crevices in the walls and roofs. During the night, when the inhabitants are sleeping, the bugs emerge. Because they tend to bite people’s faces, triatomine bugs are also known as “kissing bugs”. After they bite and ingest blood, they defecate (poop) on the person. The person can become infected if T. cruzi parasites in the bug feces enter the body through mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. The unsuspecting, sleeping person may accidentally scratch or rub the feces into the bite wound, eyes, or mouth.
People also can become infected through
Congenital transmission (from a pregnant woman to her baby);
Blood transfusions;
Organ transplantation;
Consumption of uncooked food that is contaminated with feces (poop) from infected triatomine bugs; and
Accidental laboratory exposure.
It is generally considered safe to breastfeed even if the mother has Chagas disease. However, if the mother has cracked nipples or blood in the breast milk, she should pump and discard the milk until the nipples heal and the bleeding resolves.
Chagas disease is not transmitted from person-to-person like a cold or the flu or through casual contact with infected people or animals.
If I have Chagas disease, should my family members be tested for the infection?
Possibly. They should be tested if they:
Could have become infected the same way that you did, for example, by vectorborne transmission;
Are your children and were born after you were infected; or if
There are other reasons to think that they might have Chagas disease.
In what parts of the world is Chagas disease found?
People who have Chagas disease can be found anywhere in the world. However, transmission of the disease by kissing bugs (vectorborne transmission), only occurs in the Americas. Most people with Chagas disease became infected in rural areas of Mexico, Central America, and South America. In some regions of Latin America, efforts to eliminate kissing bugs, called vector control programs, have succeeded in stopping this type of disease spread. Vectorborne transmission does not occur in the Caribbean (for example, in Puerto Rico or Cuba). Rare vectorborne cases of Chagas disease have been noted in the southern United States.
What are the signs and symptoms of Chagas disease?
Much of the clinical information about Chagas disease comes from experience with people who became infected as children through contact with triatomines. The severity and course of an individual infection can vary based on a number of factors, including the age at which a person became infected, the way in which a person acquired the infection, or the particular strain of the T. cruzi parasite.
There are two phases of Chagas disease: the acute phase and the
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