What causes Chagas disease?

What causes Chagas disease?

The disease is caused by a blood infection with a parasite (T. cruzi). In most cases, people who develop Chagas disease are exposed to T. cruzi from the feces or urine of an infected triatomine (kissing bug).

The triatomine is a blood-sucking insect that feeds on animals and humans. They hide during the day and crawl at night to feed.

They usually bite at night while you’re asleep. The bites are frequently on or around your face, this is how they got the name ‘kissing bug.’ While feeding, the bugs pee and poop (depositing the parasite T. cruzi ) close to the bite. You may unintentionally rub or scratch the bite, smearing the parasite into the opening in your skin. This allows the parasite T. cruzi to reach your blood.

Additionally, Chagas disease may spread through:

• Congenital transmission (an infected pregnant person gives the infection to the developing fetus or the baby during delivery).
• Transfusions of infected blood. However, all blood products are now tested for T. cruzi.
• Eating undercooked or unpasteurized food that’s contaminated with infected triatomine bug feces or urine. When this occurs, there are usually outbreaks and multiple people develop severe disease.
• Triatomine bites sustained while eating raw sugar cane sticks.
• Transplantation of infected organs. However, hospitals now screen donors for T. cruzi.
• A laboratory accident. This is very rare.