Chagas Disease

Chagas disease is a parasitic infection that is found in Central  America, South America, Mexico, and occasionally in the southern U.S.  It is named after the disease’s founder, Carlos Chagas, a Brazilian physician who discovered the disease in 1909.

Symptoms

A common and most noticeable symptom of Chagas disease is the swelling of the eyelid, known as Romaña’s sign. Other symptoms include heart and intestinal damage, swelling of the lymph nodes, fever, dilated esophagus or colon, inflammation of brain lining, and death. Some victims of Chagas may experience light symptoms at first, followed by years of no symptoms on account of the disease’s ability to remain dormant for decades.

Infection and Transmission

Chagas disease is evident in humans and animals, and is transmitted by an insect called the triatomine bug. Also known as “the kissing bug,” this parasitic insect hides in rafters, ceiling cracks, and dark corners during the day, and preys on its victims at night during their sleep. The triatomine is drawn to heat and carbon dioxide, among other things, which attracts it to the victim's face to bite the skin and feed on blood (hence the name kissing bug). Feeding times can last from 10 minutes to half an hour, typically without the victim ever waking up. Once the insect is done feeding, it defecates next to the wound. By scratching or rubbing the wound, the victim essentially moves the feces inside the wound, or close enough to the eye that the Trypanosoma cruzi parasites in the feces can enter the bloodstream. Even if the victim doesn’t rub the feces into the eyes, the eyelid will swell if the bite wound is close enough to the eyes.  Chagas disease can also spread through blood transfusions and from mother to child during labor.

Treatment and Prevention

Treatment of Chagas disease is still unsatisfactory, as no drug or combination of drugs have been able to 100% successfully destroy the parasite and a vaccination has yet to be discovered. For this reason, prevention is considered the best method of avoiding Chagas disease. Prevention methods include: household insecticide treatment, regularly scheduled house cleaning and disinfecting, improvement of house and building structure, mosquito nets in sleeping quarters, and community involvement and awareness. If you believe you have seen any signs of Chagas disease, such as symptoms or evidence of triatomine inhabitants, notify emergency services immediately.