What are some complications of chronic Chagas disease?

What is the major concern for chronic Chagas disease patients?

In later years the infection in those patients can cause the destruction of the heart muscle and nervous system, consequent cardiac arrhythmias or progressive heart failure and sudden death.

What is the difference between acute and chronic Chagas disease?

The natural history of Chagas disease is divided into two phases, acute and chronic. The acute phase lasts approximately 8 weeks, and usually causes mild or no symptoms. Patients with chronic Chagas disease have lifelong infection in absence of treatment. Spontaneous cure is extremely rare.

How long does the chronic phase of Chagas disease last?

If untreated, infection is lifelong. Acute Chagas disease occurs immediately after infection, and can last up to a few weeks or months. During the acute phase, parasites may be found in the circulating blood. This phase of infection is usually mild or asymptomatic.

How is chronic Chagas disease diagnosed?

The diagnosis of Chagas disease can be made by observation of the parasite in a blood smear by microscopic examination. A thick and thin blood smear are made and stained for visualization of parasites.

KILLER DISEASES | How Chagas Disease Affects the Body

Can you cure chronic Chagas?

Once Chagas disease reaches the chronic phase, medications won't cure the disease. But, the drugs may be offered to people younger than age 50 because they may help slow the progression of the disease and its most serious complications.

What are the neurological symptoms of Chagas disease?

In the chronic phase, it presents as neuritis that results in altered tendon reflexes and sensory impairment, and is reported in up to 10% of the patients. Isolated cases of central nervous system involvement can also include dementia, confusion, chronic encephalopathy and sensitive and motor deficits.

Does Chagas affect the brain?

The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) during human acute and chronic Chagas disease (CD) has been largely reported. Meningoencephalitis is a frequent finding during the acute infection, while during chronic phase the CNS involvement is often accompanied by behavioral and cognitive impairments.

What organ system does Chagas disease affect?

Chagas disease is an infectious disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease mainly affects the nervous system, digestive system and heart.

Is Chagas disease permanent?

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.

Is Chagas disease autoimmune?

In fact, the first evidence of autoimmunity in CD was presented by Cossio and collaborators in 1974 (61), who reported antibodies in sera of chagasic patients that reacted with endocardium, interstitium, and heart blood vessels but were absent in healthy individuals and in patients with non-chagasic cardiomyopathy.

What is the mortality rate of Chagas disease?

1 In the United States, more than 300,000 people are living with the disease. 300,000 living with Chagas in the U.S. Chagas disease causes approximately 10,000 deaths per year globally. Up to 30% of infected people develop symptoms.

What is chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy?

Parasite-dependent inflammation and myocardial damage - Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy is an acquired cardiomyopathy characterised by sparse inflammatory infiltrates, minimal parasitaemia, low-grade tissue parasitism, and intense and extensive reparative and reactive fibrosis (Rossi 1991).

What does Chagas disease do to the heart?

Chagas cardiomyopathy represents the most frequent and serious complication of chronic Chagas disease, affecting about 20-30% of patients, potentially leading to heart failure, arrhythmias, thromboembolism, stroke and sudden death.

Why does Chagas disease cause heart failure?

The pathology of Chagas disease is based in an inmunoinflammatory reaction producing fibrosis and remodelling, mainly in the myocardium. In many cases these mechanisms result in a dilated cardiomyopathy with HF and reduced ejection fraction, frequent cardiac arrhythmias and different types of heart block.

Should patients with chronic Chagas disease be treated with Antitrypanosomal drugs?

Summary. Treatment with antitrypanosomal drugs can cure CD in acute, congenital, and early chronic cases and provides improved clinical outcomes for chronic indeterminate cases. This treatment should be offered as early as possible, before advanced CCM develops.

What type of cardiomyopathy does Chagas disease cause?

Chagas disease (CD) is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite that can cause acute myopericarditis as well as chronic fibrosing cardiomyopathy.

Does Chagas affect the liver?

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas' disease, causes an intense inflammatory response in several tissues, including the liver. Since this organ is central to metabolism, its infection may be reflected in the outcome of the disease.

Does Chagas disease cause dysphagia?

Digestive Chagas disease is thought to be caused by damage to the intramural neurons by the parasite. The effects on the esophagus range from asymptomatic motility disorders through mild achalasia to severe megaesophagus. Symptoms can include: Dysphagia.

What is the drug of choice for T. cruzi?

The two drugs used to treat infection with T. cruzi are nifurtimox and benznidazole. Benznidazole is approved by FDA for use in children 2–12 years of age and is available from www.benznidazoletablets.com .

What are the symptoms of Chagas cardiomyopathy?

(See "Chagas disease: Chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection".) Patients with CCC may be asymptomatic or present with symptoms such as dyspnea on exertion, fatigue, palpitations, dizziness, syncope, chest pain (atypical or angina), and edema.

How long do you have to treat Chagas disease?

Treatment for Chagas disease includes taking an antiparasitic medicine for up to 2 months.

Can you donate blood if you have Chagas disease?

If you have ever been diagnosed with Chagas disease, you cannot donate blood.

Does Chagas disease cause anemia?

Trypanosoma cruzi infection in humans is associated with anemia, thrombocytopenia and leukocytosis, mainly during the acute phase of disease (1, 40).

Is Chagas disease an STD?

Conclusions: Evidence that Chagas disease can be transmitted sexually, coupled with the migration of individuals with Chagas disease to previously non-endemic countries and increased travel to endemic countries, has implications for public health.