Chagas' Disease in Latin American Immigrants

Abstract

Chagas' disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite that infects an estimated 10 to 12 million Latin Americans. Because infection is often lifelong, individuals from endemic areas may develop symptomatic chronic Chagas' disease years after emigrating to the United States. We report three immigrant patients from Latin America who illustrate the indeterminate phase and the symptomatic cardiac and gastrointestinal syndromes of this illness.