3. Living Near Triatomine Bug Habitats
In addition to living in primitive or poor housing, if a person lives in a home that borders or possibly invades an area were triatomine bugs reside is more at risk for developing this disease. The reason is that these homes disrupt the normal life cycle of the bugs and the typical hosts that they use, which are more than 100 different animals. When this cycle is disrupted, the bugs enter the human world and often will infect their domesticated animals such as dogs and cats.
The bugs transmit the parasite to these animals and the animals can pass the disease onto humans. This can create a circle of the bugs passing on the parasite to humans or their pets and then the humans or pets pass it back to the bugs.
The life cycle of the parasite is quite complex, with several developmental stages. This makes things more complicated when it comes to getting rid of the parasite.