Chagas disease is a tropical parasitic infection transmitted by crawling, blood-sucking insects (kissing bugs). You may have flu-like symptoms or none at all. But the disease can lead to life-threatening complications. With prompt treatment, most people with Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, recover fully.
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic infection transmitted by crawling, blood-sucking insects (kissing bugs). The kissing bug is almost exclusive to continental Latin America.
The infection results from the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). In most cases, the disease passes to humans who have been exposed (bitten) by an infected triatomine bug (kissing bug).
Parents may spread Chagas disease to their offspring during pregnancy or delivery. Other exceedingly rare forms of transmission include:
Chagas disease can cause both sudden (acute) and long-term (chronic) symptoms. People can be infected for a long time without showing symptoms. Without treatment, serious complications, including heart and intestinal tract problems, are possible.
Chagas disease is curable if treated soon after infection. Unfortunately, most infected people are unaware of their infection until it’s too late, and they present with complications of chronic heart or bowel problems.
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Anyone exposed to the feces or urine of an infected kissing bug (triatomine) can develop Chagas disease.
The infection is most common in rural or impoverished continental South America, Mexico and Central America. Most infections still occur in Latin American cities of 21 countries, with very few cases of chronic disease in other countries. Public health efforts have decreased disease transmission and helped eradicate it from some areas of South America and Central America.
Now infected people live with Chagas in other places, as people with Chagas disease have moved throughout the world. Very few local vector (insect bites) transmission cases occur in the United States from southern states bordering Mexico. There are no published cases of local transmission from insect bites outside continental America.
People at highest risk of developing Chagas disease include:
Most people can be infected for a long time even a lifetime without showing symptoms. But the disease can still affect you, even if you don’t know you have it. Without treatment, serious complications occur in approximately 20% to 30% of cases, including cardiac (heart) damage and digestive (bowels) or neurological (brain) issues.
Chagas disease affects an estimated 6 million people worldwide, with about 300,000 cases per year in the Americas. Approximately 70 million people in America live in areas of exposure and are at risk of contracting the disease.
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The disease is caused by a blood infection with a parasite (T. cruzi). In most cases, people who develop Chagas disease are exposed to T. cruzi from the feces or urine of an infected triatomine (kissing bug).
The triatomine is a blood-sucking insect that feeds on animals and humans. They hide during the day and crawl at night to feed.
They usually bite at night while you’re asleep. The bites are frequently on or around your face, this is how they got the name ‘kissing bug.’ While feeding, the bugs pee and poop (depositing the parasite T. cruzi ) close to the bite. You may unintentionally rub or scratch the bite, smearing the parasite into the opening in your skin. This allows the parasite T. cruzi to reach your blood.
Additionally, Chagas disease may spread through:
Chagas disease occurs in two distinct phases:
Symptoms are generally mild or go unnoticed, including:
The phase may last a few days or a few weeks.
Symptoms may start years or even decades after the initial infection. They include:
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Your healthcare provider diagnoses Chagas disease with a simple blood test. The test looks for the presence of antibodies against the parasite.
After a positive diagnosis and complete history, your provider may recommend cardiac testing to rule out heart or gastrointestinal complications. These tests may include:
Treatment for Chagas disease includes antiparasitic medications, such as benznidazole. In addition, if you have cardiac or intestinal complications from Chagas disease, you may need further treatment.
Chronic Chagas disease may cause serious complications that affect the heart and gastrointestinal tract. These complications may be life-threatening if left untreated. Heart complications include:
Intestinal tract complications may include:
In rare cases, young children or immunosuppressed people infected with Chagas disease develop life-threatening complications, including:
If you live in areas of transmission, there are several things you can do to help prevent Chagas disease. These include:
With timely treatment, most people with Chagas disease recover fully.
The following people should be screened for Chagas disease:
Chagas disease is easily diagnosed with a blood test. Contact your doctor for this test if you:
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Chagas disease is an infection transmitted by crawling insects called kissing bugs. They live mostly in South America and Central America. Kissing bugs crawl on your face before and after they bite you, and you can be infected with the parasite if you scratch those bites. Some people develop flu-like symptoms, while others may never notice. Importantly, Chagas disease can lead to life-threatening complications.
If you live in or travel to South America or Central America, you should take precautions like using bug spray and keeping your home clean. If you were born in these areas, or have visited since, be on the lookout for symptoms of Chagas disease and follow up with your primary care provider regularly.
Last reviewed on 10/08/2021.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy