Chagas disease advances in the US and puts authorities on alert

United States sanitary authorities are on alert – Chagas disease, once associated with Latin America, has advanced in the country. To date, cases have been reported in at least eight states.

The disease is a parasitic infection caused by a protozoan, transmitted mainly by insects known to barbers. When chopping, they can eliminate feces with the parasite; If the person scratches, the protozoan enters the skin or mucous membranes. The disease can cause fatal heart problems in humans and dogs.

Researchers from CDCs (disease control and prevention centers) published in September, in the scientific journal Emegging Infectious Diseases, that the disease can be considered endemic in the country. This classification indicates that this is no longer an imported tropical disease, but a permanent risk to health in the US.