Teixeira ARL, Nitz N, Guimaro MC, Gomes C, Santos-Buch CA. Chagas disease.
Postgrad Med J 2006;
82:788-98. [PMID:
17148699 PMCID:
PMC2653922 DOI:
10.1136/pgmj.2006.047357]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2006] [Accepted: 07/13/2006] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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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