What happens if my dog eats a kissing bug?

Dogs may also eat infected kissing bugs and be infected this way. Infection can also occur if they eat an infected host animal like a raccoon or squirrel. Once the parasite is in the new animal, it goes to the heart and starts to multiply in the muscle of the heart. This damages the heart and can lead to heart failure.

Do all kissing bugs carry Chagas disease?

Kissing bugs can carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which can cause Chagas disease. It’s important to know that not all kissing bugs are infected with the parasite, and the likelihood of contracting Chagas disease is low.

What causes T cruzi?

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to animals and people by insect vectors and is found only in the Americas (mainly, in rural areas of Latin America where poverty is widespread). Chagas disease (T. cruzi infection) is also referred to as American trypanosomiasis.

Can I get Chagas from my dog?

Chagas disease can affect humans, if they come into contact with infected insects. However, there have not been any reported cases of dog-to-insect-to-human transmission of Chagas disease within the United States.

How long can a dog live with Chagas?

Dogs who contract Chagas Disease may live with it for months or even years before any signs and symptoms may arise. Even when the disease is in its asymptomatic stage, it can still be doing damage to the animal. From the moment a dog contracts the parasite, the disease can cause heart degeneration and inflammation.

How do you get T cruzi from bug bites?

If a bug bites an infected animal or person, it becomes a carrier of T. cruzi, which is passed through its feces. The next time the bug feeds on a person, it leaves droppings on them, which can enter that person’s body through their eyes, nose, mouth, or the wound from the bite itself.

Why do some people not know if they have T cruzi?

Because these symptoms are similar to those of other illnesses, most people do not know their illness is from infection with the T. cruzi parasite.

What is the pathophysiology of T cruzi?

Conduction abnormalities are also associated with T. cruzi. At the base of these conduction abnormalities is a depopulation of parasympathetic neuronal endings on the heart. Without proper parasympathetic innervations, one could expect to find not only chronotropic but also inotropic abnormalities.

Is Trypanosoma cruzi a protozoa?

Trypanosoma cruzi is a species of parasitic euglenoids. Amongst the protozoa, the trypanosomes characteristically bore tissue in another organism and feed on blood (primarily) and also lymph.