What are the long term effects of Chagas disease?

Left untreated, Chagas disease later can cause serious heart and digestive problems. During the acute phase of infection, treatment of Chagas disease focuses on killing the parasite. In people who have chronic Chagas disease, it's no longer possible to kill the parasite.

Is Chagas disease lifelong?

Chagas disease has an acute and a chronic phase. If untreated, infection is lifelong.

Can you recover from Chagas disease?

Chagas disease is curable if treated soon after infection. Unfortunately, most infected people are unaware of their infection until it's too late, and they present with complications of chronic heart or bowel problems.

What is the major concern for chronic Chagas disease patients?

Nearly 30% of chronically-infected patients become symptomatic, often with a latency of 10-30 years, developing life-threatening complications. Of those, nearly 90% develop Chagas heart disease, while the others manifest gastrointestinal disease and neuronal disorders.

What are some complications of chronic Chagas disease?

Chagas Disease - An overview

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 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.

What does Chagas disease do to you?

Left untreated, Chagas disease later can cause serious heart and digestive problems. During the acute phase of infection, treatment of Chagas disease focuses on killing the parasite. In people who have chronic Chagas disease, it's no longer possible to kill the parasite.

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.

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.

How do doctors test for Chagas?

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.

What does Chagas 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.

What is the drug of choice for Chagas disease?

* Benznidazole is FDA-approved for the treatment of Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) caused by Trypanosoma cruzi in pediatric patients 2–12 years of age.

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.

How long do you have to treat Chagas disease?

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

Who is the most common victim of Chagas?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Should I get tested for Chagas?

A specific test is necessary for the diagnosis of Chagas disease. The test detects the presence of the infection through analysis of a blood sample. Anyone who suspects that they may have Chagas disease should ask their doctor to order this test.

Can ivermectin cure Chagas disease?

Ivermectin and Chagas disease

To our knowledge, a connection between ivermectin and T. cruzi has never been described in the literature (in neither animal reservoirs nor humans). 1 17 To the best of our knowledge, there is currently no evidence that would justify CD treatment with ivermectin.

Does Chagas disease cause weight loss?

GI symptoms, such as dysphagia, odynophagia, weight loss, prolonged constipation.

What is the mortality rate of Chagas?

Chagas disease causes approximately 10,000 deaths per year globally. Up to 30% of infected people develop symptoms. Chagas disease can cause: Stroke.

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.

Does Chagas need to be treated?

Treatment for Chagas disease is recommended for people diagnosed early in the course of infection (acute phase), babies with congenital infection, and for those with suppressed immune systems. Many patients with chronic infection may also benefit from treatment.