Trypanosoma cruzi

Endemic to Mexico, South America and Central America, infecting 8-11 million people there It is associated with poverty and poor housing because the insects that carry the disease can live in cracks and holes of poorly constructed houses made out of thatch, and mud T. cruzi, causes Chagas disease or American Trypanosomiasis.

Transmission This parasite is transmitted by a different type of blood-sucking arthropod, genus Triatoma, Rhodnius also known as “kissing bugs” by Scratching Ingestion of food contaminated with parasites Blood transfusion Fetal transmission

trypomastigote amastigote

Chagas Disease Acute stage: Immediate reaction to infection –Only occurs in about 1% of people infected –Swelling of the eye, tiredness, fever, rash, loss of appetite –Can be fatal for infants, young children and immunocompromised recipients –Lesion (chagoma) at site of inoculation Resolve over a period of a few weeks or months Indeterminate : 60-70% 8 to 10 weeks after infection –No symptoms Chronic: % 10 to 20 years after infection –Enlarged heart and digestive tract –Can result in heart failure ( Potentially fatal if untreated) Little effective therapy (toxic drugs/low cure rates)

Chagas' disease Most recognized Symptoms Of Acute phase Chagoma : inflammatory response at site of infection. Roma ñ a sign : bilateral edema (unilateral) is due to entry of the infectious agent is through the eye: unilateral conjunctivitis.

Most recognized symptoms of chronic phase

Diagnosis Microscopic examination:  fresh anticoagulated blood  thin and thick blood smears stained with Giemsa Serology:  IFAT  CFT  IHAT  ELISA Isolation of the agent:  inoculation in culture with specialized media  inoculation into mice  xenodiagnosis

Prevention Most effective approach Insecticides Education Improving housing conditions Sanitation Testing of blood donors