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 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 does Chagas cause myocarditis?

Chagas disease (CD) is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite that can cause acute myopericarditis as well as chronic fibrosing cardiomyopathy. CD is the most common cause of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in Latin America [1]. Issues related to acute Chagas heart disease will be reviewed here.

What organ does Chagas disease affect?

Also called American trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease can infect anyone. Left untreated, Chagas disease later can cause serious heart and digestive problems.

What is Chagas myocarditis?

Chagas heart disease (CHD) results from infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is the leading cause of infectious myocarditis worldwide. It poses a substantial public health burden due to high morbidity and mortality.

Chagas disease: seen from the heart

What are EKG findings typical of Chagas cardiomyopathy?

The earliest manifestations are usually conduction system abnormalities, usually right bundle branch block and/or left anterior fascicular block. Other early changes may include segmental left ventricular wall motion abnormalities.

How fatal is Chagas disease?

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.

What parasite attacks the heart?

Protozoa and helminths are two parasites groups known to be pathogenic to the human heart. Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, toxoplasma, plasmodium and Leishmania are the most frequent protozoa that can establish infections in human resulting in a wide spectrum of cardiac manifestations.

Can Chagas disease be detected by blood test?

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.

Can you recover from Chagas disease?

Treatment. To kill the parasite, Chagas disease can be treated with benznidazole or nifurtimox. Both medicines are nearly 100% effective in curing the disease if given soon after infection at the onset of the acute phase, including the cases of congenital transmission.

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 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 are 4 signs of cardiomyopathy?

What are the signs and symptoms of stress cardiomyopathy?

Does viral cardiomyopathy go away?

Usually, myocarditis goes away without permanent complications. However, severe myocarditis can permanently damage the heart muscle.

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 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.

Does ivermectin treat Chagas disease?

In conclusion, although ivermectin treatment may have a transient effect on peridomestic populations of Triatominae, it is not the treatment of choice for this situation.

What parasite can cause heart failure?

Chagas disease is caused by a parasite, transmitted by a blood-sucking insect— Trypanosoma cruzi – and less frequently, from mother to fetus or by contaminated food or drink. About one third of infected individuals develop chronic heart disease.

What is the most devastating parasitic disease?

Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a disease caused by parasitic worms. Although the worms that cause schistosomiasis are not found in the United States, more than 200 million people are infected worldwide. In terms of impact this disease is second only to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease.

What are the symptoms of heart parasites in humans?

How long can you live with Chagas?

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.

How common is Chagas disease in USA?

More than 5 million people worldwide have Chagas disease. In the United States, there are estimated to be at least 300,000 cases of chronic Chagas disease among people originally from countries of Latin America where Chagas disease is endemic.

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 is the most common ECG finding in Chagas disease?

The most frequent ECG alteration was the change of the T wave and ST segment, ranging between 16.6% and 100% (37.86% in our study). The presence of right branch blockage, characteristic of chronic disease, was present only in 5%-25% cases (1.94% in our study).