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Enfermedad de Chagas - Overview

Nombres alternativos

Tripanosomiasis americana

Definición:

Es una enfermedad que se transmite por medio de insectos y es común en Centro y Suramérica.

Causas, incidencia y factores de riesgo:

La enfermedad o mal de Chagas es provocada por el Tripanosoma cruzi, un parásito emparentado con el tripanosoma africano que causa la tripanosomosis africana o enfermedad del sueño. La enfermedad es propagada por los redúvidos o chupasangre y es uno de los mayores problemas de salubridad en América del Sur. Debido a la inmigración, la enfermedad también afecta a personas en los Estados Unidos.

Los factores de riesgo para la enfermedad de Chagas abarcan:

  • Vivir en una choza donde los redúvidos habitan en las paredes
  • Vivir en Centro y Suramérica
  • La pobreza
  • Recibir una transfusión sanguínea de una persona que porta el parásito, aunque no tenga la enfermedad activa
  • Reviewed last on: 9/15/2010
  • David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital.

Referencias

Kirchhoff LV. Trypanosoma species (American trypanosomiasis, Chagas' disease): Biology of trypanosomes. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2009:chap 277.

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