16-Year Evolution of Acute Orally Transmitted Chagas Disease: Report of an Autochthonous Case Progressing to Chagasic Cardiomyopathy

Introduction

Chagas disease (CD) is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan with a complex life cycle found in dozens of species of triatomine insects (kissing bugs) and mammals. The World Health Organization (WHO) included CD among the neglected tropical diseases in 2006.

Humans can become infected through contact with insect feces containing T. cruzi or through other mechanisms, including the ingestion of contaminated food. The clinical presentation of CD varies between its two phases: acute and chronic. In the acute phase, individuals are usually oligosymptomatic, presenting with nonspecific signs and symptoms. However, a minority may develop more severe manifestations such as hepatosplenomegaly, myocarditis, or meningoencephalitis. The chronic phase comprises three well-defined clinical forms: indeterminate, cardiac, and digestive.^–

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