Where is Chagas found?
Mexico, Central and South America, and southern United States.

What are the symptoms of Chagas?
People may begin showing symptoms 5-14 days after exposure to infected kissing bug feces and 20-40 days after infection by blood transfusion.

ACUTE PHASE

• Most people are asymptomatic during the acute phase which can last for a few weeks or months.
• Symptoms are variable and include fever, headache, loss of appetite, joint pain, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, enlarged lymph nodes, swelling at eyelid or bite mark, liver enlargement and spleen enlargement. In most cases, symptoms resolve within weeks to months without treatment.

If left untreated, the infection can transition to CHRONIC PHASE.

• The chronic phase may remain silent for years or even for life.
• Symptoms are cardiac (cardiomyopathy, heart failure, cardiac arrest) and intestinal complications (megaesophagus or megacolon).

How can I prevent infection?
To decrease your risk of Chagas disease:

• Eliminate cracks in walls or buildings and apply EPA-approved and registered insecticides in and around homes.
• Ensure house pets are indoors at night, since triatomine bugs feed primarily at night.
• Do not allow dogs and cats to eat tissues from potentially infected wild animals.
• When visiting areas where Chagas disease is common, sleep inside a screened area, under a permethrin-impregnated net or in an air-conditioned room.