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Chagas

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Submitted By wease
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Chagas disease, the parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is found mainly in Latin America, where it is mostly transmitted to humans by the feces known as “kissing bugs”.

The Triatoma or “kissing” bug.
Image/CDC
in 2013 the number of cases of Chagas disease in the United States to be somewhere between 300,000 and 1 million. The United States is ranked 7th among nations for the amount of cases.
In Texas, approximately 45% of the collected kissing bugs have tested positive for T. cruzi, and Chagas is considered an endemic disease in dogs. From 2013 to 2014, 351 cases of Chagas disease in animals, primarily dogs, were reported from approximately 20% of Texas counties, representing all geographic regions of the state. Locally-acquired human cases are uncommon, but some have been reported. From 2013 to 2014, 39 human cases of Chagas disease were reported: 24 were acquired in another country, 12 were locally-acquired, and the location of acquisition was unknown for 3.
Local transmission means that the kissing bugs in Texas are infected with the parasite, causing it to spread to humans.

Chagas in Texas/Texas Department of Health

The kissing bug can be found in poorly constructed homes, with cracks and crevices in the walls.
Usually at night while sleeping, the insect feeds on people or other mammals. While feeding the insect defecates and the infected feces gets rubbed into the bite wound, eyes abrasions or other skin wounds.
The parasite invades macrophages at or near the site of entry. Here they transform, multiply and rupture from the cells 4-5 days later and enter the blood stream and tissue spaces.
Initial infection with Chagas is typically asymptomatic. Acute disease may manifest symptoms after a couple of weeks.
Reddening of the skin around the eye may be seen.
Fever, malaise, enlarged liver and spleen are part of the acute syndrome. 10% of people develop acutemyocaditis with congestive heart failure. This acute disease can be fatal.
After a latent period which may last for years, the infected person may develop chronic disease (20-40%). The most serious consequences are cardiomyopathy (in certain areas it’s the leading cause of death in men less than 45 years of age) and megacolon/megaesophogus.
The disease can also be transmitted thru congenital transmission (mother to baby), through blood transfusions and organ transplants, and some cases of transmission through feces contaminated food.
About 150 mammals beside humans may serve as reservoirs of the parasite. Dogs, cats, opossoms and rats are among the animals.

Benznidazole and nifurtimox are 100 percent effective in killing the parasite and curing the disease, but only if given soon after infection at the onset of the acute phase, according to the WHO.
There is no vaccine for Chaga’s, so preventive measures should include insecticide spraying of infested houses. for dogs
In the early stages of Chagas disease, dogs may have a fever, lack of appetite, feel weak, have swollen lymph nodes, a swollen liver or spleen and possible early heart disease. In the later stages, dogs may develop heart failure. At any phase of the disease, dogs are at risk for sudden death. The diagnosis is often made by combination of the history of possible exposure to the kissing bug, a physical exam, radiographs (X-rays) of the chest, an ultrasound of the heart and blood test to confirm the presence of antibodies to the disease. While there is currently no cure for Chagas, treatment is aimed at trying to strengthen the weak heart and providing supportive care for the patient. Puppies as young as six-months-old have been seen with late-stage heart disease. -

Most of the cases that have been diagnosed involve pets that live outside, underneath a light that is on at night and possibly close to stack of wood or native brush such as Mesquite trees in Texas. The bugs live in the wood crevices and are attracted to the light. They often fall down onto a sleeping dog and are able to get a blood meal. Therefore, keeping your pet in an area that is free of the kissing bug, such as inside the house or garage, under a covered patio or other areas where the bugs do not exist. The removal of stacks of wood and placing kennels away from brush and outdoor lights is also important. Although direct transmission from dogs to humans has not been reported, the increased infection in dogs may indicate the local presence of the kissing bug, which may pose an increased risk to humans.

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