Neglected Parasitic Infections in the United States: Chagas Disease
Open Access
- 7 May 2014
- journal article
- Published by American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Vol. 90 (5), 814-818
- https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.13-0726
Abstract
Chagas disease, which is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, can lead to severe cardiac and gastrointestinal disease. Most persons acquire this infection through contact with vector bugs carrying T. cruzi in endemic areas of Latin America. Infection can also be acquired by congenital, transfusion, transplantation, and foodborne transmission. Although an estimated 300,000 persons with Chagas disease live in the United States, little is known about the burden of chagasic heart disease. It is not known how often congenital or vector-borne transmission of T. cruzi occurs in the United States, although it is known that infected mothers and infected vector bugs are found in this country. Better diagnostic tests and treatment drugs are needed to improve patient care, and research is needed to define transmission risks and develop strategies to prevent new infections and reduce the burden of disease.Keywords
This publication has 27 references indexed in Scilit:
- A Systematic Review of High Quality Diagnostic Tests for Chagas DiseasePLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2012
- Sensitive and Specific Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in Clinical Specimens Using a Multi-Target Real-Time PCR ApproachPLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2012
- The United States Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Study: evidence for vector‐borne transmission of the parasite that causes Chagas disease among United States blood donorsTransfusion, 2012
- Chagas Heart DiseaseCardiology in Review, 2012
- Trypanosoma cruzi and Chagas' Disease in the United StatesClinical Microbiology Reviews, 2011
- Survey of Obstetrician-Gynecologists in the United States About Chagas DiseaseThe American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2010
- Physician Awareness of Chagas Disease, USAEmerging Infectious Diseases, 2010
- Chagas diseaseThe Lancet, 2010
- High Throughput Selection of Effective Serodiagnostics for Trypanosoma cruzi infectionPLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2008
- Autochthonous Transmission ofTrypanosoma cruzi, LouisianaEmerging Infectious Diseases, 2007