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Home , Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi

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What is Chagas disease and feces after feeding. This fecal material In long term or severe cases, what causes it? contains the , which then of the [ Chagas (SHA-gus) disease (also enters the bite wound created by the (my-O-car-DIE-tis)] and possible heart called American typanosomiasis [tri- “kissing bug”. failure can occur. PAN-o-so-MY-ah-sis]) is caused by a How does Chagas disease Who should I contact if I protozoan (single celled, microscopic) affect my animal? suspect Chagas disease? parasite called cruzi In Animals – (tri-PAN-o-so-MA cruise-EYE). The In dogs, the most common signs of Contact your veterinarian protozoan infects humans and infection are fever, sluggishness and In Humans – animals through an insect called a an unkept hair-coat. Signs of heart Contact your physician. “kissing bug” (or “assassin bug”). failure may show up after an extended period of time. Other animals do not How can I protect my animal The disease can be seen in dogs typically show any signs of illness. and humans and initially causes flu- from Chagas disease? like signs (fever, headache), which Can I get Chagas disease? Keep animals indoors and away can progress to over a Yes. People usually get Chagas from insects at night. Wooded areas long period of time. Cases primarily disease from the “kissing bug” () are most likely to harbor the beetle, occur in Central and South America. that bloodfeeds on humans and especially in the southern United A few cases occur occasionally in the transfers the protozoan through its States. Dogs should not be allowed to southern U.S. fecal matter. Occasionally people have contact with wild animals such get Chagas disease from blood as opossums, raccoons and armadillos What animals get Chagas transfusions or by transfer from to reduce the chance of infection. disease? mothers to their babies during In the U.S. dogs, opossums and pregnancy or when nursing. How can I protect myself armadillos are most likely to carry from Chagas disease? People with Chagas disease will the protozoan that causes Chagas have fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, Avoid contact with the “kissing disease. Many other animals can serve swelling at the “kissing bug” bite site bug”. If traveling to Latin America, as carriers (or reservoirs), including and swollen glands or lymph nodes. particularly Central America, take cats, rabbits, raccoons, and . The bug usually bites around the eye. precautions when camping or Generally, dogs are the only animals sleeping in huts to prevent insect bites. that show signs of disease. Kissing beetles are very susceptible Chagas disease to which can be used to How can my animal get remove the bugs from dwellings. Chagas disease? is caused by Animals can get Chagas disease by a protozoan parasite For More Information living or sleeping outside in an area and spread by the “kissing bug” CFSPH Technical Fact Sheets. Chagas where the “kissing bug” (vector) lives. (Trypanosomiasis-American) at http:// This bug lives in cracks and holes of www.cfsph.iastate.edu/DiseaseInfo/ old, unkept buildings or homes and CDC website. Chagas’ disease at http://www. wooded areas and can be found in cdc.gov/parasites/chagas/ Latin America and as far north as Virginia in the U.S. The protozoa develops in the intestine of the “kissing bug”. This Left photo: The protozoan, (From CDC DPDx Parasite Image Library). bug is a blood feeder and will bite its Right photo: A “kissing bug”. host (animal or human), then excrete

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