Venezuela reports spike in Chagas disease cases in January 2014
The Venezuela Ministry of Health has reported a great surge of the parasitic infection, Chagas disease during the first month of 2014, according to an El Universal report Feb. 4 (computer translated).
The report notes that in the first three weeks of January 2014 there has been 334 cases of Chagas disease, with more than half of the cases recorded during the third week of January alone.
This is an huge increase compared to the four cases reported during the same period in 2013.
Related story: Chagas disease in North America
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). It is found mainly in endemic areas of 21 Latin American countries.
About 7 million to 8 million people worldwide are estimated to be infected with the parasite.
T. cruzi parasites are mainly transmitted by the infected feces of blood-sucking triatomine bugs. In addition, the parasite can be transmitted via food contaminated with T. cruzi through for example the contact with triatomine bug feces, blood transfusions using blood from infected donors, passage from an infected mother to her newborn during pregnancy or childbirth, organ transplants using organs from infected donors and laboratory accidents.
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