Read About Chagas Disease and the Kisssing Bug

Chagas disease comes from a parasite transmitted through the feces of a blood-sucking insect, which is known as the kissing bug. The disease is endemic in rural areas from Mexico to Argentina. The Mexican Herald reports than an estimated one and a half to two million Mexicans are infected with this parasite. More recently it has been found that Chagas disease is spreading to other parts of the world. One common way that this is spread is through blood transfusions. Biologist Bert Kohlmann stated that they have received reports from Australia, Europe, the United States and even Canada of infections through blood transfusion. The vinchuca is one of the principal carriers of the dreaded Tripanosoma cruzi, a tiny one-celled parasite, which multiplies in humans and animals, and which is the cause of Chagas’ disease. It was in 1908 that Charles Chagas discovered the parasite for the first time in the intestine of the vinchuca. The disease can also be transmitted to humans from dogs and cats. The main problem is that most doctors don’t even think about screening for Chagas. The World Health Organization estimates that in the Western Hemisphere, 16 to 18 million people are infected with the disease and 100 million more may be at risk. This disease is often fatal and there is currently no known cure.

What are the symptoms of Chagas disease?