The Global Fight Against Chagas Disease
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The Global Fight Against Chagas Disease
Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is spread by infected triatomine bugs. It can cause serious heart and gastrointestinal problems.
7 million living with Chagas in the Americas
The parasite that causes Chagas disease is found only in the Americas, where an estimated 7 million people are infected.1 In the United States, more than 300,000 people are living with the disease.2
300,000 living with Chagas in the U.S.
Chagas disease causes approximately 10,000 deaths per year globally.3
Up to 30% of infected people develop symptoms.
Chagas disease can cause:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Sudden death
Women infected with T. cruzi can pass the disease to their unborn baby.
Chagas disease accounts for at least $627 million in global healthcare-related costs annually.4
Global efforts to stop Chagas disease include:
- Spraying insecticides to eliminate triatomine bugs where they live, in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America.
- Screening blood to prevent spreading the disease through blood transfusions. Widespread screening of the U.S. blood supply for T. cruzi began in 2007.
- Improved screening of and treatment for Chagas disease, including identification of pregnant mothers with T. cruzi infection whose babies may be at risk.
For more information on Chagas: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/chagas
- http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs340/en/external icon
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26703028_An_Estimate_of_the_Burden_of_Chagas_Disease_in_the_United_Statesexternal icon
- http://www.who.int/chagas/epidemiology/en/external icon
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23395248external icon
