Alternative Names & Classifications:
American Trypanosomiasis (CLINICAL)
Description
Trypanosoma cruzi parasites enter the body through breaks in the skin or mucous membranes after a triatomine bug bites and defecates near the wound. The disease features an acute phase with mild symptoms, followed by a latent chronic phase that can persist for decades. Eventually, it can cause severe, life-threatening cardiac and gastrointestinal tissue destruction.