Chagas Disease Essay
CHAGAS DISEASE Trai Boslet, Richard Tuff Bio 181L
What is the disease? Chagas disease is an inflammatory and infectious disease that is caused by a parasite called trypanosoma cruzi. Trypanosoma cruzi is transmitted by an insect factor only in the Americas. Most cases of this disease are found in Latin America. Also called American trypanosmiasis, the chagas disease can effect anyone, but is more common to effect children. If the chagas disease is left untreated the infection will be lifelong and life threating. Other ways that the disease can be transmitted is through blood transmission, organ transplantation, accidently lab exposure, and if a pregnant woman is infected it can be pass down to the baby.
Life cycle and …show more content…
Acute chagas disease occurs right after infection. Parasites can be circulating through the blood stream. The infection can be mild or even show no symptoms. Some symptoms of acute chagas could be fever, swelling around the site of infection, and rarely the infection can lead to inflammation of the heart muscle or brain. Most cases the infected person would have chronic chagas disease, which is prolonged and may not show any signs of symptoms. There many be few or even no parasites found in the blood. During this stage the victim might not even notice an infection. Since the victim is unaware of the disease prolonged implications will occur. Some of the problems will be heart rhythm abnormalities that can result to death, a heart that can’t pump blood as well, and dilated esophagus or colon leading to digestion problems.
What is the treatment? Treatment of the chagas disease mostly focuses on killing the parasites in the acute stage. Prescription medicine for acute chagas disease are benznidazole and nifurtimox. Both drugs are found in the regions that are affected by chagas. In the United States these drugs can all be obtained through the CDC. If the victim has chronic chagas there is no medication that can help cure it. Some drugs can help slow the progression of the disease and its most severe symptoms.
How can this disease be
What is the disease? Chagas disease is an inflammatory and infectious disease that is caused by a parasite called trypanosoma cruzi. Trypanosoma cruzi is transmitted by an insect factor only in the Americas. Most cases of this disease are found in Latin America. Also called American trypanosmiasis, the chagas disease can effect anyone, but is more common to effect children. If the chagas disease is left untreated the infection will be lifelong and life threating. Other ways that the disease can be transmitted is through blood transmission, organ transplantation, accidently lab exposure, and if a pregnant woman is infected it can be pass down to the baby.
Life cycle and …show more content…
Acute chagas disease occurs right after infection. Parasites can be circulating through the blood stream. The infection can be mild or even show no symptoms. Some symptoms of acute chagas could be fever, swelling around the site of infection, and rarely the infection can lead to inflammation of the heart muscle or brain. Most cases the infected person would have chronic chagas disease, which is prolonged and may not show any signs of symptoms. There many be few or even no parasites found in the blood. During this stage the victim might not even notice an infection. Since the victim is unaware of the disease prolonged implications will occur. Some of the problems will be heart rhythm abnormalities that can result to death, a heart that can’t pump blood as well, and dilated esophagus or colon leading to digestion problems.
What is the treatment? Treatment of the chagas disease mostly focuses on killing the parasites in the acute stage. Prescription medicine for acute chagas disease are benznidazole and nifurtimox. Both drugs are found in the regions that are affected by chagas. In the United States these drugs can all be obtained through the CDC. If the victim has chronic chagas there is no medication that can help cure it. Some drugs can help slow the progression of the disease and its most severe symptoms.
How can this disease be