Chagas disease as secondary cause of cardiomyopathy.

摘要

Chagas disease, caused by infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, should have been included in Table 2 of this article as one of the potential secondary causes of inflammatory cardiomyopathy. T. cruzi is transmitted by various species of bloodsucking "kissing bugs" from the Triatominae subfamily, and is present in many animal species spread throughout most of the United States. Chagas disease is a significant public health problem, especially in Central and South America where an estimated 10 million people are still infected with T. cruzi. Chagas disease reaches North America through immigration, and an estimated 14 million people from countries where Chagas disease is endemic are living in non-endemic areas.