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

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite present in deadly kissing bugs. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025

At the moment, there are no vaccines or drugs that can prevent someone from getting Chagas disease, according to the CDC. —Chantelle Lee, Time, 10 Sep. 2025

The Disease, Diagnosis and Treatment Chagas disease progresses through distinct phases, each presenting unique challenges for diagnosis and treatment. —Matthew Binnicker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Texas, the only state where Chagas disease in animals has been a reportable condition, 431 canine cases were reported from 2013–2015 in addition to cases in two cats, one horse, one rat, three chimpanzees and one walrus, per the health agency. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 9 Sep. 2025

The insects, actually named triatomine bugs, have been spotted in Indiana over the past decade, but so far there haven't been any reports of Chagas disease in the state. —Greta Cross, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2025

Using a small sample of blood work, lab tests can determine Chagas disease. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025

There are two antiparasitic drugs approved for the treatment of Chagas disease in the U.S. — Benznidazole and Lampit (nifurtimox). —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025

The lab that demonstrated bedbugs’ potential as vectors of Chagas disease got the idea from a paragraph-long description of a study from 1912, says Michael Levy, an epidemiology professor at the University of Pennsylvania who led the 2014 study. —Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024

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