CDC addressing potential threat of Chagas disease - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

(RNN) - Although it has recently drawn comparisons to AIDS, Chagas disease is not quite the same type of pandemic. Still, there is reason for concern.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently highlighted the disease on a short list of infections that are priorities for future action.

Chagas disease can turn deadly without detection and treatment. It is a growing epidemic in rural Latin America, where an estimated 8 to 11 million people are infected.

More than 300,000 people in the United States have the disease and are not aware of it.

Dr. Sue Montgomery with the CDC said Chagas disease's comparison to AIDS is mainly to arouse awareness.

"There are only a limited number of drugs available to treat it, so we do definitely need new and improved drugs," Montgomery said. "It's difficult to detect because none of the tests are really perfect."

The disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). The parasite lives in triatomine, or "kissing bugs," so called because they bite their victims in the face or lips. The bugs are most common in Mexico, Central America and South America.

It is not a new disease, either.

Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas discovered the infection in 1909.

Most infected people in the U.S. are likely Hispanics that caught it in their native countries before they emigrated, Montgomery said.

States with high populations of Hispanic immigrants - particularly those in the South, West and Northeast portions of the U.S. - have higher concentrations of people who carry it.

The most common type of transfer is wildlife-to-wildlife among animals such as wood rats, raccoons and possums.

There have only been 23 documented cases of people catching the disease from triatomine bugs inside the U.S., according to the CDC. The first case was in 1955.

"This affects the part of our population that's not able to access healthcare as much as we would like them to," Montgomery said. "It affects people who are often marginalized, who often live in poverty. A lot of doctors are also not aware of the disease, so it's difficult for them to detect and treat."

Like HIV and AIDS, Chagas can take a long time – up to 30 years – to manifest itself in a person's body. By comparison, it can take anywhere from seven to 10 years for a person's body to show visible symptoms from the virus that causes AIDS.

Between 20 to 30 percent of people who have Chagas disease will experience serious symptoms of illness, which can include an enlarged heart or swollen intestines. In severe cases, the symptoms can cause sudden death.

Doctors are particularly worried about the effects of the disease on patients with heart disease.

People cannot spread the disease through normal physical contact or sexual contact. However, it can be spread through organ transplants or blood transfusions. That's another major reason for the large outbreak in Latin America, where many countries have lax standards for blood donor screening.

In very rare occurrences, people can contract the disease from contaminated food or drinks.

The CDC trains nearly 300 doctors and nurses throughout the country to treat Chagas disease.

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