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Review
. 2006 Dec;82(974):788-98.
doi: 10.1136/pgmj.2006.047357.

Chagas disease

A R L Teixeira  1 , N Nitz, M C Guimaro, C Gomes, C A Santos-Buch
Affiliations
Review

Chagas disease

A R L Teixeira et al. Postgrad Med J. 2006 Dec.

Abstract

Chagas disease is the clinical condition triggered by infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The infection is transmitted by triatomine insects while blood feeding on a human host. Field studies predict that one third of an estimated 18 million T cruzi-infected humans in Latin America will die of Chagas disease. Acute infections are usually asymptomatic, but the ensuing chronic T cruzi infections have been associated with high ratios of morbidity and mortality: Chagas heart disease leads to unexpected death in 37.5% of patients, 58% develop heart failure and die and megacolon or megaoesophagus has been associated with death in 4.5%. The pathogenesis of Chagas disease appears to be related to a parasite-induced mutation of the vertebrate genome. Currently, treatment is unsatisfactory.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

References

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