Final answer:
Chagas disease typically presents in three phases with symptoms ranging from absent or mild during the acute phase, to life-threatening, such as heart failure and gastrointestinal problems, during the chronic phase. This tropical disease is transmitted by the feces of kissing bugs and can lead to serious long-term health issues if not treated.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. It typically presents in three phases: the acute phase, the intermediate (indeterminate) phase, and the chronic phase. During the acute phase, which lasts about 2 months, symptoms can include fever, headache, enlarged lymph nodes, pallor, muscle pain, difficulty in breathing, swelling, and abdominal or chest pain. However, the signs can be mild or even absent. The characteristic signs that may appear are swelling of the eyelids on the side of the face near the bite wound or where the bug feces were deposited or rubbed into the eye, known as Romaña's sign, and a skin lesion or a purplish swelling of the lids of one eye.
In the chronic phase, which may occur many years after initial infection, approximately 30% of patients suffer from cardiomyopathy, which includes abnormalities such as an enlarged heart, alterations in heart rhythm that can lead to sudden death, and heart failure. Gastrointestinal complications may also occur, such as an enlarged esophagus or colon, leading to difficulties in eating or passing stool respectively.
It is transmitted mainly through the feces of infected triatomine bugs, often referred to as kissing bugs, which tend to bite the faces of people and then defecate near the site of the bite. The protozoan can be introduced into the body when the bite or a nearby area is scratched. Contaminated blood transfusions, organ transplants, congenital transmission, and even ingestion of contaminated food are other possible routes of transmission. Given the potential severity of Chagas disease, particularly due to its chronic effects on the heart and digestive system, awareness and early diagnosis are crucial.