Is Chagas (also known as American trypanosomiasis) a new epidemic? This new disease is becoming more like the next HIV - AIDS
Epidemic. The disease is said to affect millions of Latin Americans so far and about
300,000 Americans. This disease is more common in the areas
that people are very poor.
This is a tropical parasitic disease and is spread by feces from insects. These bugs bite people at night while are sleeping and left their feces. So if the wound contacts the feces then the infection occur. This disease can infect anyone but is diagnosed most often in children.
This is a tropical parasitic disease and is spread by feces from insects. These bugs bite people at night while are sleeping and left their feces. So if the wound contacts the feces then the infection occur. This disease can infect anyone but is diagnosed most often in children.
The disease is compared to HIV AIDS because:-
- Most often you will not know that you have been infected right away unless tested.
- If not treated stays in the blood stream forever
- Is transmitted through blood transfusion & through a pregnant woman to her unborn baby.
The good this is that this disease:-
- Is not sexual transmitted
- If caught early is100% curable
- You can't contract the disease by touching a person who is infected
Symptoms :-
Chagas disease can be acute or chronic. Symptoms range from mild to
severe, although many people don't experience any symptoms until the chronic
stage.
- Swelling at the infection site
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Rash
- Body aches
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea, diarrhea or vomiting
- Swollen glands
- Enlargement of your liver or spleen
Signs and symptoms that develop during the acute phase usually go away
on their own. However, if left untreated, the infection persists and advances
to the chronic phase (usually 10 to 20 years) that is potentially fatal because it enlarges the heart and the intestine. The results can cause irregular heartbeat, inflamed, enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest, difficulty swallowing due to enlarged esophagus, abdominal pain or constipation due to enlarged colon.
When to see a doctor
Do not panic see your doctor if you live in or have traveled to an area at risk of Chagas disease and you have signs and symptoms of the condition.
Do not panic see your doctor if you live in or have traveled to an area at risk of Chagas disease and you have signs and symptoms of the condition.
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