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Chagas disease

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

American trypanosomiasis

Prevention:

Insect control with insecticides and housing structures less conducive to high insect populations will help control spread of the disease.

Blood banks in Central and South America screen donors for previous exposure to the parasite, and the blood is discarded if the donor tests positive. Because the incidence of Chagas disease is low in the United States, blood banks here do not screen donors for Chagas disease.

• Review Date: 9/25/2006
• Reviewed By: Charlotte Grayson, MD, Private Practice specializing in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, Smyrna, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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