Chagas disease

Chagas disease is an infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi ^[1]. It is recognized in the sources as a neglected tropical disease and as a condition that remains prevalent in the Americas ^[1][2]. The available materials also note that epidemiologic patterns are changing, with autochthonous cases now being identified in the USA as well as Latin America ^[3].

The source set emphasizes that approximately 30% of infected persons later develop cardiac and/or gastrointestinal complications ^[1]. In immunocompromised hosts, T. cruzi reactivation is an important clinical concern and may be lethal ^[2]. The materials also highlight chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy as a relevant manifestation, although detailed symptom patterns, timing, and natural history are not further specified in the provided snippets ^[4][3]. Source-backed detail on the acute clinical syndrome is not yet available.

Chagas disease is reported as prevalent in the Americas and as a leading neglected tropical disease in the United States ^[1][2]. An estimated 240,000 to 350,000 persons in the United States are infected, and many are immigrants from Mexico, Central America, and South America, where the disease is endemic ^[1]. More recent literature notes that autochthonous cases are being found within the USA in addition to Latin America ^[3]. The sources also state that discrete typing units are not confined to specific geographic regions, but no further surveillance burden estimates are provided ^[3].

The parasite is transmitted by the triatomine bug ^[1]. The provided sources also identify non-vector transmission through blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and congenital transmission ^[1]. One review further notes that a history of kissing bug bites is relevant to screening considerations, supporting exposure to vector habitat as a transmission-related signal ^[3].

Source-backed higher-priority groups include persons who lived in areas where Chagas disease is endemic, especially Mexico, Central America, and South America, and people in the United States who may have been infected previously in those settings ^[1][3]. Additional groups mentioned in the sources are persons with a family member diagnosed with Chagas disease, those who have lived in homes of natural material in Latin America, persons with a history of kissing bug bites, and immunocompromised patients, including people with HIV and recipients of solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplants ^[3][2].

Source-supported prevention focuses on identification of at-risk persons through screening and on reducing progression through early recognition ^[1][3]. Screening is recommended for persons who lived in endemic areas, those with a family member diagnosed with Chagas disease, persons who have lived in homes of natural material in Latin America, and persons with a history of kissing bug bites ^[3]. The sources also note that early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent complications, and that prevention and management of reactivation in immunocompromised patients varies by type of immunocompromise ^[1][2].

In surveillance and monitoring, Chagas disease should be interpreted as both an imported and, increasingly, locally recognized infection in the USA ^[1][3]. The source material supports special attention to people with exposure histories consistent with endemic-area residence or vector contact, as well as to immunocompromised patients in whom reactivation may occur and be severe ^[3][2]. The available evidence also indicates that serologic testing is used for screening at-risk patients, but detailed laboratory algorithms and reporting thresholds are not provided in the snippets ^[1][2].

1. 1 Hochberg NS et al. Chagas Disease. Ann Intern Med. 2023 Feb. PMID: 36780647. doi: 10.7326/AITC202302210. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36780647/
2. 2 Swett MC et al. Chagas Disease: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2024 Oct. PMID: 39115799. doi: 10.1007/s11886-024-02113-7. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39115799/
3. 3 Clark EH et al. Chagas disease in immunocompromised patients. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2024 Jun 13. PMID: 38546225. doi: 10.1128/cmr.00099-23. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38546225/
4. 4 Chagas Disease: Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy. Current Problems in Cardiology. 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2019.100507. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2019.100507
5. 5 Chagas of Chagas’ disease. Gastroenterology. 2003. doi: 10.1016/j.gastro.2003.08.010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gastro.2003.08.010
6. 6 Chagas of Chagas' disease. Gastroenterology. 2003. doi: 10.1016/s0016-5085(03)01251-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-5085(03)01251-4

ICD-10

B57

ICD-11

1F53

Total cases

80K

Peak month

2005-03

Coverage

1 reporting countries · 2000-01-01 → 2025-12-01