Chagas disease

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Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

If you live in a high-risk area for Chagas disease, these steps can help you prevent infection:

  • Avoid sleeping in a mud, thatch or adobe house. These types of residences are more likely to harbor triatomine bugs.
  • Use insecticide-soaked netting over your bed when sleeping in thatch, mud or adobe houses.
  • Use insecticides to remove insects from your residence.
References
  1. Chagas disease: Detailed FAQs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/chagas/gen_info/detailed.html. Accessed May 4, 2011.
  2. Bern C. Epidemiology and control of Chagas disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 4, 2011.
  3. Bern C, et al. Evaluation and treatment of Chagas disease in the United States: A systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007;298:2171.
  4. Yacoub S, et al. Neglected tropical cardiomyopathies: I. Chagas disease. Heart. 2008;94:244.
  5. Milei J, et al. Prognostic impact of Chagas disease in the United States. American Heart Journal. 2009;157:22.
  6. Rosenthal PJ. Protozoal & helminthic infections. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2011. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=778139. Accessed May 4, 2011.
  7. Rassi Jr. A, et al. Chagas disease. The Lancet. 2010;375:1388.
DS00956 June 11, 2011

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