Todayโs path rounds are on ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐ is also known as ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ, which gives you a clue as to what pathogen is involved! This disease is caused by ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ข, a parasite that is found in the bloodstream.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Any mammal can get this disease, but we most commonly see it in dogs!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Chagas disease is transmitting by biting bugs, specifically ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ insects or โkissing bugsโ. There are over 130 types of kissing bugs in the Americas, meaning there are a lot of potential ๐ฏ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ (disease transmitting agents) out there! The bugs acquire the parasite from feeding on an infected animal. Within the bug, the parasite matures into ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ, which are shed in the insectโs feces. Animals will either ingest the infected bug itself or feed contaminated with insect feces, acquiring the parasite. The bugs can also transfer the parasite by feeding on a new host, which is the main mechanism of human transmission.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
The trypomastigote form of the parasite invades into cells, particularly the heart and smooth muscle. Once inside a cell, it forms a ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐จ๐ฅ๐, which is a big fancy name for basically a sac within the cell where the parasite lives. Within this vacuole, the parasite produces more and more trypomastigotes, which are released into blood circulation. This vacuole poses a major issue for animals, as it interrupts normal cellular function. Because this parasite likes to live in the heart, animals often present with heart failure, ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ (inflammation of the heart muscle) and irregular heartbeats. The damage caused by this parasite can go unnoticed for months to years, before finally appearing as a heart condition.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
The easiest method of diagnosis is looking at a ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ under the microscope, to visualize the trypomastigotes. They are easily identifiable, and very unique in shape and structure.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
Treatment typically involves antiparasitic medications that are specific for Chagas disease, like ๐๐๐ง๐ณ๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ณ๐จ๐ฅ๐.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1) A kissing bug, the main vector of Chagas disease.
2-3) Trypanosomes on a blood smear.
4-5) Heart muscle under the microscope invaded by parasitic organisms!
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Wilkowsky SE. Trypanosomiasis in Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual 2022.
Photo 1 ยฉ Wikimedia Commons contributor Heigen Villacarlos licensed under CC Share-Alike 4.0 International.
Photos 2-3 ยฉ Cells and Smears Veterinary Clinical Pathology Digital Database licensed under CC Non-commercial Share-Alike 4.0 International.
Photos 4-5 Noahโs Arkive contributor Dick licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
