{"id":9529,"date":"2019-08-10T23:02:38","date_gmt":"2019-08-10T23:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=9529"},"modified":"2021-04-22T19:15:24","modified_gmt":"2021-04-22T19:15:24","slug":"15-known-causes-of-chagas-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/15-known-causes-of-chagas-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Known Causes of Chagas Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Trypanosoma cruzi is the parasite that causes the disease known as American Trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease. This disease is only found within the Americas. It is mainly found in rural areas located in Latin America as this is where poverty is very widespread. There are likely around 8 million people throughout Central and South America and Mexico who have this disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of these people do not even know that they are infected with this parasite. If the disease is not treated, the infection can last throughout life and can become life-threatening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chagas disease is not limited to only the rural parts of Latin America. It has been found in the United States as well as other areas. It is not currently endemic in these areas. Being bitten by an insect that is infected with the parasite is the main cause of the disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the other causes and risk factors for developing Chagas disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Insect Vector<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chagas disease<\/a> is spread by an insect vector. The name of the insects is kissing bugs or triatomine. This type of bug is part of a subfamily of Reduviidae. Often times these bugs are called reduviid bugs. A human becomes infected with Chagas disease when one of these bugs deposits their feces on the human skin. The feces contain the parasite. Once the feces is on the skin parasites will enter the human host through the bite or through any break in the skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parasites may also enter the human through the mucous membranes located in the mouth and the nose. The reason that the bugs that spread this disease are often referred to as kissing bugs is that the rash that is caused by Chagas disease looks similar to what the skin looks like after prolonged kissing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, the parasites will eventually enter the bloodstream. This can become quite dangerous as they will take over organs and cause a lot of damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Living Conditions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One risk factor for developing Chagas disease is a person\u2019s living conditions. A person who lives in a very poor area is more likely to develop this disease than someone living in a wealthier part of the world. The disease is not common in the United States. It is most common throughout South America, Central America, and the areas of Mexico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kissing bugs thrive in housing conditions that are poor. This includes homes that have thatched roofs or mud walls. In countries where these bugs <\/a>are present, people who live in more rural areas are more likely to become infected by this disease. These areas have higher numbers of the disease simply because of the lack of proper medical care. These people live in poor conditions and do not often have the best hygiene, which allows the parasite to grow and spread throughout the population.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Living Near Triatomine Bug Habitats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bugs transmit the parasite <\/a>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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Contagious<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This parasitic disease is not considered to be contagious <\/a>from human to human. Almost always, the parasite will need some type of vector such as the kissing bug in order to be transferred to humans. However, there have been reports of the Chagas disease being spread to humans through organ transplants, from blood transfusions, and from a mother to an infant through the placenta. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parasite may also be inhaled or ingested and a human may come in contact with the parasite through a laboratory accident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that these types of transmissions do not happen very often. There has been a research study done that has shown that in an experimental condition bedbugs can be infected with the parasite from a mouse that is infected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bedbugs can then reinfect the mice. However, it does not seem that bedbugs can infect humans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. High-Risk Areas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is important to note that not all of the triatomine bugs carry the T. cruzi parasite<\/a>. In addition, being bitten by one of these bugs does not mean that a person is going to get infected. In fact, transferring the parasite to humans from the bugs is not efficient. This means that getting a Chagas disease is not easy. However, there are some areas of the world where the risk of developing the disease is higher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Areas where the majority of the vectors who have the disease are plentiful increase the risk of developing the disease. Any area that is infested with the kissing bugs is considered to be a high-risk area. Some of the high-risk areas that are known are the impoverished areas located throughout Central and South America and in the poorer areas of Mexico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living in or visiting these areas puts you at a higher risk of not only being bitten by one of these bugs but also of developing Chagas disease from the bite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Blood Transfusions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, it is possible to get Chagas disease from a blood transfusion. A person who is in need of a blood transfusion should make sure that they are getting the blood from screened sources. If you are in an endemic region it is important to make sure that the blood that is being used has been screened for Chagas disease as well as other types of diseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also a risk of getting Chagas disease from donated organs that come from endemic regions. People who are in need of a blood transfusion or an organ donation often have immune systems <\/a>that are somewhat compromised in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Receiving blood or an organ that contains the parasite that causes Chagas disease can be quite detrimental and may even cause the person to die. This is where screening plays a very important role when it comes to limiting the spread of this disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Food<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to the food that you eat it is important to know where it came from. Often times, food brought into the United States has been shipped from South or Central America, or Mexico. Some of this food, especially produce, may come from some of the more impoverished areas of these countries. These areas may be areas where infected kissing bugs reside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this is the case, the fruit or other produce that comes from these areas could cause you to become ill. If you do not wash the food and it is contaminated with the feces of an infected bug, it may cause a person to develop Chagas disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This parasite <\/a>is spread through the feces of these bugs, which means that it can easily be spread by the bug onto food. It is important to make sure that you know where your food is coming from. In addition, it is important to make sure that you always wash any produce that you purchase.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Preventing Transmission<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There have been efforts made through the public health community in order to help prevent the transmission of the parasite that causes Chagas disease<\/a>. These efforts have resulted in a lower number of new Chagas disease infections. In certain areas, the transmission of these parasites by the bugs has been completely stopped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, many countries where the disease is common to have started to screen any donated blood for Chagas disease. Unfortunately, the disease may still be transmitted through organs that are infected or from a mother to their child through the womb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are over 300,000 individuals in the United States that have Chagas disease. Most of these individuals were infected while visiting areas of Latin America. There are kissing bugs found in the United States, but there are only a few cases of the disease caused by the bugs found in the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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