- Trypanosoma cruzi
, only in the New World
- Transmission via bugs, blood transfusion and congenitally, rarely orally
- Importance of poverty (housing)
- Acute (especially children): chancre, Romaña’s sign, fever, lymphadenophathy, myocarditis, hepatosplenomegaly
- Chronic: cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure, emboli, apical aneurysms
- Chronic: dysphagia, constipation (mega-syndrome)
- Diagnosis: clinical + thick smear/buffy coat (early), serology, xenodiagnosis, ECG, X-ray (late), PCR
- Treatment in the early phase still reasonably successful with medication; in the late phase difficult
- Benznidazole: problems with bone marrow toxicity, hypersensitivity, peripheral neuropathy.
- Prevention: much progress in recent years via vector control and control of blood banks.
