by Beatty NL, Alcala RF, Luque NA, Radetic M, Joshi-Guske P, Alakrad E, Forsyth CJ, Hamer DH. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2023;108(3):543-547. doi: doi.org/10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00081
Summary: The authors of this manuscript report the case of a 67-year-old woman who screened positive for T. cruzi infection while donating blood. After a camping trip to northern Mexico, the patient, aged 10 years old, developed an unusual febrile illness and marked swelling of the face that led to three weeks in hospital without a diagnosis. More than four decades later, rapid diagnostic tests and commercial and confirmatory serology for Chagas disease were all positive for T. cruzi infection. The patient described a progressive chronic cough, gastroesophageal reflux, and dysphagia for more than 10 years, but there was no evidence of cardiac complications. This case report highlights the risk of travel-related Chagas disease for travellers to endemic regions.
