Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is there a medication to prevent trypanosomiasis?

Unfortunately Chagas disease poses a huge challenge in the absence of a proven drug or a vaccine to prevent the disease.

2. When do the symptoms of Chagas disease manifest in victims?

Once the infection sets in, the symptoms manifest within a few days. Sometimes they show up after a few weeks of the infection. Yet in some others, it does not develop until the chronic stage of infection which is after 10 -40 years after the initial onset of infection.

3. What is the rate of incidence of Chagas disease?

It is estimated that globally, almost 16 to 18 million people get infected with Chagas disease, of which about 50,000 succumb to the infection annually.

4. Once infected with trypanosomiasis will a person develop immunity against it?

No one is immune from trypanosomiasis. Even if a person has the disease once he can get re-infected.

Published on May 30, 2013
Last Updated on Oct 12, 2020