epidemiology
Last reviewed 02/2022
Latin America:
- estimated that 16 to 18 million people have chronic T. cruzi infection.
- transmission also occurs via blood transfusions.
United States:
- 50 to 100,000 immigrants with T. cruzi infection may be living in the USA.
- only 3 cases have been described in which acute Chaga's disease has resulted from transmission of the parasite by a vector.
- there is the risk of transmission via infected blood transfusions. At present the Food and Drug Administration has not licenced an assay for use in blood banks.