Chagas
From The Cure For The Needy
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Chagas disease
Background
Chagas disease (also called American trypanosomiasis) is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi.
There is currently no vaccine against Chagas disease and prevention is generally focused on fighting the vector Triatoma by using sprays and paints containing insecticides (synthetic pyrethroids), and improving housing and sanitary conditions in rural areas.
There are two approaches to treating Chagas disease: antiparasitic treatment to kill the parasite and symptomatic treatment to manage the symptoms and signs of infection.
Antiparasitic treatment is most effective early in the course of infection but is not limited to cases in the acute phase. Drugs of choice include azole or nitro derivatives such as benznidazole or nifurtimox. However, resistance to these drugs has been reported.
Chagas disease affects 16–18 million people as of 2008, with some 100 million (25% of the Latin American population) at risk of acquiring the disease. It kills around 20,000 people annually.
The disease is present in 18 countries on the American continent, ranging from the southern United States to southern Argentina.
[source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagas_disease#Treatment ]
Current Treatments
Further Reading
wikipedia:Chagas Disease
Wikipedia entry on Chagas disease
CDC Fact Sheet
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fact Sheet and other information
WHO-TDR-Chagas Disease
The Tropical Disease Research and Training Division of WHO's information
TropIKA: Chagas Disease
TDR's TropIKA.net (Tropical Disease Research to foster Innovation and Knowledge Application) contains many resources, such as journal articles, related to tropical diseases