Chagas: Is tropical disease really the new AIDS?

[Black kangaroo]

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Chagas, a tropical disease spread by insects, is causing some fresh concern following an editorial—published earlier this week in a medical journal—that called it "the new AIDS of the Americas."

More than 8 million people have been infected by Chagas, most of them in Latin and Central America. But more than 300,000 live in the United States.

The editorial, published by the Public Library of Science's Neglected Tropical Diseases, said the spread of the disease is reminiscent of the early years of HIV.

"There are a number of striking similarities between people living with Chagas disease and people living with HIV/AIDS," the authors wrote, "particularly for those with HIV/AIDS who contracted the disease in the first two decades of the HIV/AIDS epidemic."

Chagas: Is tropical disease really the new AIDS? | The Lookout - Yahoo! News

[balipseyev]

Daghan man kissing bug sa mango....

[reptoid]

It's nothing like HIV. It's not sexually transmitted and it's not viral. Chugas is caused by a parasite resulting from the bite of an insect found in South/Central America.

[PagkahomotSAimongUTOToi]

It's nothing like HIV. It's not sexually transmitted and it's not viral. Chugas is caused by a parasite resulting from the bite of an insect found in South/Central America.

its "Chagas" not "Chugas".


Chagas disease has an acute and a chronic phase. If untreated, infection is lifelong.

Acute Chagas disease occurs immediately after infection, may last up to a few weeks or months, and parasites may be found in the circulating blood. Infection may be mild or asymptomatic. There may be fever or swelling around the site of inoculation (where the parasite entered into the skin or mucous membrane). Rarely, acute infection may result in severe inflammation of the heart muscle or the brain and lining around the brain.

Following the acute phase, most infected people enter into a prolonged asymptomatic form of disease (called "chronic indeterminate") during which few or no parasites are found in the blood. During this time, most people are unaware of their infection. Many people may remain asymptomatic for life and never develop Chagas-related symptoms. However, an estimated 20 - 30% of infected people will develop debilitating and sometimes life-threatening medical problems over the course of their lives.

Complications of chronic Chagas disease may include:
-heart rhythm abnormalities that can cause sudden death;
-a dilated heart that doesn’t pump blood well;
-a dilated esophagus or colon, leading to difficulties with eating or passing stool.

In people who have suppressed immune systems (for example, due to AIDS or chemotherapy), Chagas disease can reactivate with parasites found in the circulating blood. This occurrence can potentially cause severe disease.

reference:

CDC - Chagas Disease - Disease

[reptoid]

It's more like Lyme disease. I think the AIDS reference is a bit of Yahoo style sensationalism. This is probably confusing/scaring people in North America where "chiggers" are a common biting insect. I don't believe that the insect responsible for chagas is found in the United States and that most cases are found amongst immigrants and their children.

[PagkahomotSAimongUTOToi]

from my knowledge, kining insect nga nagdala sa disease mao mani ang usa sa ginatawag nga "bed bug". nkakita ko ani sa natgeo ug ang possible health problems in the future sa mapaakan ani. and daghan jud kuno ni kaayo sa U.S nga insekto. and well mas maayo nlng gyud nga kahibalo ta ani. wla may mawala sa ato kung motoo ta ani dba.

[Romeojin]

i agree its more like Lyme Disease transmitted by blood sucking insects. they made reference of Chagas with AIDS maybe due to the disease had been an epidemic and treatment is still uncertain.

[mybuuz]

this bug used to be causing havoc only in South America mostly tribal areas, now it's spreading.
wala pa sad tambal ani hangtud ron? scary kung maabot ni sa atoa kay tropics pud baya ta.

[Slapkid]

Wa ni siyay cure until now? I read about this in some medical encyclopedia a long time ago.

[Romeojin]

Wa ni siyay cure until now? I read about this in some medical encyclopedia a long time ago.

accdng to the link, its hard or impossible to cure and the medicine right now for it are extremely toxic.