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Chagas Disease
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Infections

Chagas Disease

Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic illness that can lead to severe heart and digestive complications.

What is Chagas disease?

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is an illness that can cause serious heart and stomach problems. It is caused by a parasite. Chagas disease is common in Latin America, especially in poor, rural areas. It can also be found in the United States, most often in people who were infected before they moved to the U.S.

Causes

Chagas disease is caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. It is usually spread by infected blood-sucking bugs called triatomine bugs. They are also known as "kissing bugs" because they often bite people's faces. When one of these bugs bites you, it leaves behind infected waste. You can become infected if you rub the waste in your eyes or nose, the bite wound, or a cut.

Chagas disease can also spread through contaminated food, a blood transfusion, a donated organ, or from the pregnant parent to the baby during pregnancy.

Risk Factors

The people who are most at risk for Chagas disease:

  • Live in rural areas of Latin America
  • Have seen the bugs, especially in those areas
  • Have stayed in a house with a thatched roof or with walls that have cracks or crevices

Symptoms

In the beginning, there may be no symptoms. Some people do get mild symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, a rash, or a swollen eyelid. These early symptoms usually go away. However, if you do not treat the infection, it stays in your body and can later cause serious intestinal and heart problems, such as:

  • A serious arrhythmia (a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat) that can cause sudden death
  • An enlarged heart that does not pump blood well
  • Problems with digestion and bowel movements
  • An increased chance of having a stroke

Diagnosis and Treatment

To find out if you have Chagas disease, your health care provider will do a physical exam, take your medical history, and run a blood test. They may also run tests to see whether the disease has affected your intestines and heart.

Medicines can kill the parasite, especially early on. You can also treat related problems; for example, a pacemaker can help with some heart complications.

Prevention

There are no vaccines or medicines to prevent Chagas disease. If you travel to areas where it occurs, you are at higher risk if you sleep outdoors or are staying in poor housing conditions. It is important to use insecticides to prevent bites and practice food safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

Diagnosis is confirmed through specific serological blood tests that detect antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi. While a standard complete blood count may show abnormalities, it cannot diagnose Chagas disease. In the acute phase, the parasite may be visible in a blood smear, but in the chronic phase, which lasts for years or decades, antibody testing is the primary method of detection.
Yes, congenital transmission can occur during pregnancy, with an estimated risk of 5 to 10 percent if the mother has an active infection. Pregnant women with Chagas disease are typically monitored closely, and antiparasitic treatment is generally avoided during pregnancy due to potential risks to the fetus. Newborns of infected mothers are tested for the parasite, and if positive, they are treated with antiparasitic medication to prevent long-term complications.
Untreated chronic Chagas disease can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and life-threatening arrhythmias due to the parasite damaging heart muscle tissue. Management involves lifelong cardiac monitoring, medications to control heart rhythm and heart failure, and in severe cases, surgical interventions such as pacemaker implantation or heart transplantation. Early treatment with antiparasitic drugs can reduce the risk of these complications.
It is highly unlikely to contract Chagas disease from local insects in the United States because the triatomine bugs that transmit the parasite are not established in the U.S. environment. However, the risk exists for individuals who have recently traveled to or lived in endemic areas of Latin America, or for those who receive a blood transfusion or organ transplant from an infected donor, as the parasite can remain dormant in the body for decades.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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