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| Chagas disease is a pathogenic tropical disease transmitted by the protozoa, ''[[Trypanosoma cruzi]]''. In the early, acute stage symptoms are mild and are usually no more than local swelling at the site of infection. As the disease progresses, over as much as twenty years, the serious chronic symptoms appear, such as heart disease and malformation of the intestines. If untreated, the chronic disease is often fatal.
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| ==Background==
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| '''Chagas' disease''' (also called '''''[[American trypanosomiasis]]''''' or '''''[[Trypanosoma cruzi Infection]]''''') is a human [[tropical disease|tropical]] [[parasitic disease]] which occurs in the Americas, particularly in South America. Its [[pathogen]]ic [[Vector (biology)|agent]] is a [[flagellate]] [[protozoa]]n named ''[[Trypanosoma cruzi]]'', which is transmitted to humans and other [[mammal]]s mostly by [[hematophagy|blood-sucking]] [[assassin bug]]s of the subfamily [[Triatominae]] (Family [[Reduviidae]]). Those insects are known by numerous common names varying by country, including benchuca, vinchuca, kissing bug, chipo, chupança and barbeiro. The most common insect species belong to the genera ''[[Triatoma]]'', ''[[Rhodnius]]'', and ''[[Panstrongylus]]''. Other forms of transmission are possible, though, such as ingestion of food contaminated with [[parasite]]s, [[blood transfusion]] and [[fetus|fetal]] transmission.
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| The symptoms of Chagas' disease vary over the course of the infection. In the early, acute stage symptoms are mild and are usually no more than local swelling at the site of infection. As the disease progresses, over as much as twenty years, the serious chronic symptoms appear, such as heart disease and malformation of the intestines. If untreated, the chronic disease is often fatal. Current drug treatments for this disease are generally unsatisfactory, with the available drugs being highly toxic and often ineffective, particularly in the chronic stage of the disease.
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| ''Trypanosoma cruzi'' is a member of the same [[genus]] as the infectious agent of African [[sleeping sickness]] and the same [[Order (biology)|order]] as the infectious agent of [[leishmaniasis]], but its clinical manifestations, geographical distribution, life cycle and insect [[vector (biology)|vectors]] are quite different.
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist|2}}
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