What Is Chagas Disease?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
4. Transmission
The triatomine bug feeds of a variety of vertebrates. If it was to feed on a host that itself was infected then the bug would itself become infected. When an infected bug finds out a human host for their next meal, then that person is also likely to become infected.
While the triatomine bug will bite into its host, it is not necessarily the bite that will cause the infection. Rather, the bugs will defecate on their host’s skin after eating and their feces are often also infected with Trypanosoma. If the Trypanosoma can then find an opening into the body, they can begin to multiply and cause an infection. Some people will fall ill after eating food that has been contaminated with the parasite.
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