Chagas disease

noun

Cha·​gas disease ˈshä-gəs- 

-gə-səz-

variants or Chagas' disease

: a tropical American disease that is caused by a trypanosome (Trypanosoma cruzi) transmitted chiefly by blood-sucking insects (genus Triatoma, Rhodnius, or Panstrongylus) and that occurs in both an acute and chronic form

Note: The acute form of Chagas disease lasts for several weeks to months and is marked by mild symptoms (such as fever, fatigue, or swelling at the infection site) or rarely by serious symptoms (such as myocarditis or meningoencephalitis) but is often asymptomatic. The acute form may sometimes progress years later to a chronic form characterized especially by cardiac and gastrointestinal complications (such as cardiomyopathy, irregular heart rhythm, and enlargement of the colon or esophagus).

Chagas disease kills more Latin Americans than any other parasitic illness.

—The Economist

Chagas' disease spreads via insect fecal contamination of its own bite.

—Phil Gunby

called also American trypanosomiasis

Examples of Chagas disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those compounds, designed from 1997 to 2012, originally were aimed to inhibit Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease, which can further the risk of heart failure, organ damage or death. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

These include every protein that the human body produces as well as proteins involved in key human diseases, such as Covid, malaria, and Chagas disease. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025

This cycle of invasion, replication, and cell destruction underlies many of the tissue damage and inflammatory responses seen in Chagas disease. —New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2025

Human cases of Chagas disease reported in 8 states. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025

Treatment and Prevention of Chagas Disease Chagas disease is treatable with antiparasitic medications. —Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 18 Sep. 2025

How to treat Chagas disease According to Mayo Clinic, medications can kill the parasite and help manage symptoms. —Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025

Symptoms There are two phases of symptoms from Chagas disease, according to the WHO. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025

Who should get tested for Chagas disease? —Greta Cross, Freep.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Carlos Chagas †1934 Brazilian physician

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Chagas disease

• actuaries
• analyses
• anopheles
• antitheses
• apostrophes
• catalyses
• distributees
• examinees
• hypotheses
• interviewees
• isosceles
• paralyses

Medical Definition

Chagas disease

noun

Cha·​gas disease ˈshäg-əs- 

variants or Chagas' disease

ˈshäg-əs-(əz-)

: a tropical American disease that is caused by a parasitic protozoan of the genus Trypanosoma (T. cruzi) transmitted chiefly by blood-sucking reduviid insects (genus Triatoma, Rhodnius, or Panstrongylus) and that occurs in both an acute and chronic form

Note: The acute form of Chagas disease lasts for several weeks to months and is marked by mild symptoms (such as fever, fatigue, or swelling at the infection site) or rarely by serious symptoms (such as myocarditis or meningoencephalitis) but is often asymptomatic. The acute form may sometimes progress years later to a chronic form characterized especially by cardiac and gastrointestinal complications (such as cardiomyopathy, irregular heart rhythm, and enlargement of the colon or esophagus).

called also American trypanosomiasis