Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease, usually transmitted by triatomine vectors. An estimated 20 to 30% of infected individuals develop potentially lethal cardiac or gastrointestinal disease. Sylvatic transmission cycles exist in the southern United States, involving 11 triatomine vector species and infected mammals such as rodents, opossums, and dogs. Nevertheless, imported chronic T. cruzi infections in migrants from Latin America vastly outnumber locally acquired human cases. Benznidazole is now FDA approved, and clinical and public health efforts are under way by researchers and health departments in a number of states. Making progress will require efforts to improve awareness among providers and patients, data on diagnostic test performance and expanded availability of confirmatory testing, and evidence-based strategies to improve access to appropriate management of Chagas disease in the United States.

中文翻译：

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美国的恰加斯病：一种公共卫生方法。


克氏锥虫是恰加斯病的病原体，通常通过锥蝽媒介传播。据估计，20% 至 30% 的感染者会患上潜在致命的心脏或胃肠道疾病。美国南部存在森林传播周期，涉及 11 种锥蝽媒介物种和受感染的哺乳动物，如啮齿动物、负鼠和狗。然而，来自拉丁美洲的移民中输入性慢性克氏锥虫感染的数量远远多于本地感染的人类病例。苯硝唑现已获得 FDA 批准，多个州的研究人员和卫生部门正在开展临床和公共卫生工作。要取得进展，需要努力提高提供者和患者的认识、诊断测试性能的数据和扩大验证性测试的可用性，以及改善美国恰加斯病适当管理的循证策略。