Frequently Asked Questions

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15. What organs are affected by the Chagas disease?
Chagas disease most commonly affects the heart, esophagus or intestines, but respiratory, urinary and central nervous system (CNS) complications have also been recorded.
16. What are the phases of Chagas disease?
Chagas disease has three phases: acute, indeterminate (asymptomatic) and chronic (symptomatic) phases.
17. What are the signs and symptoms of the Chagas disease?
The acute phase often goes undetected because it can be asymptomatic. Symptomatic acute Chagas disease is often characterized by non-specific symptoms such as fever and malaise, which resolve on their own in four to six weeks. A common sign of the acute phase is swelling of the eye lid (known as Romaña's sign), which is a reaction to the parasite after a triatomine bite. The indeterminate phase is asymptomatic and may last up to 30 years. Chronic symptomatic disease develops in 10% to 30% of infected patients and most often involves complications of the heart and/or gastrointestinal tract, depending on geographical location or parasite strain. Chagas disease is a leading cause of infectious cardiomyopathy worldwide.