American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease) - a tropical disease now in the United States
Article Abstract:
The incidence of American trypanosomiasis, or Chagas' disease, has increased in the US. Chagas' disease is a tropical disorder caused by infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. T. cruzi lives in both insect and human hosts. Humans are usually infected through contact with the feces of insect vectors. Patient's with acute Chagas' disease usually have only mild symptoms that resolve in four to six weeks. Ten to 30% of infected individuals develop chronic Chagas' disease and have an increased risk of dying from an irregular heart rhythm or congestive heart disease. Chagas' disease is usually diagnosed using parasitological studies or blood tests. The incidence of Chagas' disease is extremely high in Mexico and other countries in Central America. Increased immigration of individuals from these countries into the US may be responsible for the higher incidence of the disease in the US since the 1970s.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1993
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The leading diagnosis
Article Abstract:
The article discusses the different stages of illness of a patient suffering from acute abdominal pain using a case of a 23-year-old woman. It further discusses the leading diagnosis prescribed by the clinician.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 2007
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