What does Chagas disease do?

Also called American trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease can infect anyone. Left untreated, Chagas disease later can cause serious heart and digestive problems. During the acute phase of infection, treatment of Chagas disease focuses on killing the parasite.

What disease do assassin bugs carry?

Triatomine bugs are a type of reduviid bug that can carry Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.

Do all kissing bugs carry disease?

Not every kissing bug carries the parasite. And even if you are bitten by an infected bug, odds are you still won’t be infected. That’s because the bite itself doesn’t transmit the disease.

Is the kissing bug disease the AIDS of the Americas?

But Chagas disease does share some features with AIDS: Both are diseases of poverty. In the Americas, Chagas is mainly a problem of the “bottom 100 million” people who suffer from at least one of the so-called neglected tropical diseases. Both diseases carry significant stigma.

Is the Chagas disease the AIDS of the Americas?

May 31, 2012 — Chagas disease is being called the new “AIDS of the Americas.” The shocking comparison has put this neglected tropical disease in headlines around the world. Who’s at risk?

Are there any real bugs in North America?

The “insect” pictured here, at least, is real. It’s a giant water bug, a creature that is found in North America, South Africa, and India and is harmless to humans. These types of faked images are sometimes claimed to play on viewers who have trypophobia, defined as a “pathological fear of holes” (particularly irregular patterns of holes).

Where are most new HIV infections in United States?

U.S. dependent areas made up 1% of new HIV diagnoses. Most infections are now highly concentrated in certain geographic hotspots. More than 50 percent of new HIV diagnoses in 2016 and 2017 occurred in 48 counties, Washington, D.C., and San Juan, Puerto Rico.