Abstract
American trypanosomiasis, commonly known as Chagas disease, is caused by the flagellate protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. An estimated eight million people infected with T. cruzi currently reside in the endemic regions of Latin America. However, as the disease has now been imported into many non-endemic countries outside of Latin America, it has become a global health issue. We reviewed the transmission patterns and current status of disease spread pertaining to American trypanosomiasis at the global level, as well as recent advances in research. Based on an analysis of the gaps in American trypanosomiasis control, we put forward future research priorities that must be implemented to stop the global spread of the disease.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-015-0092-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
American trypanosomiasis, commonly known as Chagas disease, is caused by the hemoflagellate protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi
It has been demonstrated that the transmission of American trypanosomiasis, commonly known as Chagas disease, can be effectively interrupted by controlling the main vectors in endemic areas, which has been implemented in many Latin American countries
With globalization and climate change, much more attention has been paid to the spreading of American trypanosomiasis at the global level
Summary
Commonly known as Chagas disease, is caused by the hemoflagellate protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It has been a neglected tropical disease and an important health problem in Latin America for many decades. 95 % of untreated patients advance into the chronic stage of the disease; at least 30 % develop chagasic cardiomyopathy and up to 10 % can develop digestive, neurological, or mixed alterations. These all can lead to high morbidity and mortality rates among adults in endemic countries; the current number of annual deaths is at least 10,000 [1]. Chagas disease has been diagnosed in nonendemic countries in North America, such as Canada and the United States (US); in the Western Pacific
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