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Kissing bugs Predator bugs are spreading more and more dangerous Chagas disease
In the United States, with the increasing spread of predatory bugs, a significant increase in infections of Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) can be observed. The tropical disease, which was originally widespread in Central and South America, is often symptom-free for a long time, but can eventually lead to heart failure, scientists at the Baylor College of Medicine warn. Patients often develop cardiomyopathy, with one in six people dying from heart failure within five years, the researchers write.
In recent research, experts at Baylor Medical University have uncovered that Texas is already seeing increased transmission of Chagas' disease from blood-sucking predatory bugs. According to the experts, a further increase in the number of infections is to be expected with the spread of the parasites. In Central and South America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "an estimated eight million people are infected with Chargas," and more than 300,000 people in the United States live with a Chargas infection. However, the latter have been mostly infected in the endemic countries, according to the CDC. However, this may change in the future, as Texas already has an increased proportion of local infections today.
Raubbanzen are responsible for the transmission of Chagas disease. (Image: fancyfocus / fotolia.com) Chagas disease often long time without symptoms
The Chagas disease is transmitted by bugs that pass the unicellular Trypanosoma cruzi in a bite. The bugs tend to stick in the area of the mouth during sleep, which has earned them the name "kissing bug" in the US. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the infections occur in two phases, although in the first phase (up to two months) many pathogens circulate in the blood of those affected, but only 50 percent of those affected show symptoms. These may include skin changes, eyelid swelling, fever, headache, enlarged lymph nodes, paleness, muscle aches, difficulty breathing, swelling and abdominal and chest pain, the WHO reports. After about two months, the disease eventually goes into a chronic state and the parasites mainly affect muscles in the heart and stomach. "Up to 30 percent of patients suffer from heart disease and up to 10 percent from digestive tract disorders (typically in the esophagus or middle section of the colon)," WHO said. In later years, the infection could lead to sudden death from heart failure.
Spread of Chagas disease in the southern United States
The scientists around Dr. Kristy Murray and Melissa Nolan Garcia of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor Medical University have "revealed an unrecognized level of transmission in the state of Texas in their current research." Pathogens are therefore very likely to infect and multiply transmissions to humans. However, the spread of Chagas disease in Texas has not been recorded for long so it is difficult to evaluate development. For example, screening tests by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are compulsory for blood donations because transmission of the Chagas pathogens via blood transfusions is possible. However, they also make limited conclusions about their distribution within the US. According to the figures of the US Disease Control Agency, one out of 27,500 blood donors tested positive for Chagas, reports the news channel "n-tv". However, the number in Texas is much higher. According to the current study of the Baylor Medical University, one of 6,500 blood donors is infected with the tropical disease. (Fp)