Chagas Disease Control and Prevention (Essay Sample)

Chagas disease control and prevention
Name
School Affiliation
Date
Chagas disease, also known as the American trypanosomiasis, is a vector borne disease that is transmitted by Triatomine bug that carries protozoan parasites known as Trypanosoma cruzi that causes the disease.
Chagas disease is endemic in Latin America, central and South America. However, the impact of this disease is no limited to the Latin America as the population infected is present in the rest of the world. This distribution is due to population mobility from endemic areas to other regions in the rest of the world. This has greatly changed the epidemiology of chaga disease with time. (CDC, 2010)
Infection in mainly via vector borne transmission however, There are other many other ways in which people get infected in chagas disease non endemic areas. Vector borne transmission occurs when Triatomite bugs, sucks blood from an infected person or animal and passes the parasites, T. cruzi, in their feces. Once the bugs bite on a host and ingest blood, they defecate on the skin. The bite is itchy hence the hosts tend to scratch the bitten region. The host becomes infected if the parasite enters the body through the wound on the skin caused by the scratching or the triatomite bug (WHO, 2015).
There are many other ways in which the disease is transmitted.
Blood transfusion; Infection occurs due to the fact that the Trypanosoma cruzi infests and infects the red blood cells hence if infected blood is transfused to an uninfected person leads to infection.
Consumption of uncooked food contaminated with feces from infected tratomine bugs.
Organ transplant of infected organ to uninfected person.
Chagas disease is also transmitted from a pregnant woman to child
However, Chagas disease is neither transmitted through casual contact with infected people or animals nor is it airborne. It is however fatal if left untreated. The condition infects vital body organs leading to gradual breakdown of the organs.
Early diagnosis of Chagas disease is treatable but it is untreatable if diagnosed too late. However, the elite say prevention is better that cure. Chagas disease is preventable and there are a wide range of prevention measures that can reduce the rate of transmission of the parasite that causes the disease (CDC, 2010).
A large population in Latin America, where the disease is endemic and mainly vector borne, is at a great risk of being infected while the larger population is already infected. While the infected population receives treatment, It is wise to prevent the uninfected population as it is way much cheaper, easier, and practical than treatment. (Stableford, 2012)
Control and prevention of further spreading of Chagas disease as well as breaking the chain of transmission is on e of the most efficient measures. It involves control of vectors and protecting the host from the vectors.
Spraying insecticide in houses and homesteads to eliminate tiatomite bugs within human settlements. This reduces the chances of triatomite bites and exposure to their feces hence prevention of transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi to the population. This measure is community based and hence can be very effective in controlling the vectors of chagas diseases.
Public and Community Education on the transmission and management of Chagas disease is a key measure. Educating the people living in endemic areas how and why to spray their homes as well making the community understand the sequence of transmission and the dangers of infection. This makes the community adhere to the measures of prevention and controlling that includes spraying their homesteads with insecticides as well as treatment for those already infected.
Proper and improved housing is crucial as triatomite bugs live and hide in cracks in mud houses and on thatched roofs. Improved housing eliminates the bugs and hence significantly decreasin...