Chagas in the United States: Increasing Prevalence, Continued Neglect.
Abstract
This documentation draws attention to the problem of Chagas' disease, commonly thought of as a Latin American phenomenon, in the USA, where there are estimated to be about 300 000 infected people, most of them undiagnosed. This is mostly a result of immigration from endemic countries, but transmission by triatomine bugs, by organ transplants or blood transfusion or from mother to child is possible. Many health care practitioners know little about the disease, and the existing drugs (nifurtimox and benznidazole) are accessible only under special protocols. The experience of a patient is used to illustrate the problem. US policies on global health also neglect Chagas' disease despite its importance in the Americas.
Citation
4 pp.
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Published 1 January 2009