據(jù)美國《紐約時(shí)報(bào)》近日報(bào)道，一種由吸血昆蟲引發(fā)的致命疾病正在美洲大陸蔓延,，因?yàn)楦腥菊咴诨疾〕跗谂c艾滋病患者的癥狀類似,，有專家把它稱為美洲國家面臨的“新型艾滋病”威脅。
這種疾病其實(shí)名叫查加斯病，是一種由單細(xì)胞寄生蟲造成,、由昆蟲叮咬傳播的熱帶疾病,。被感染后，患者會(huì)出現(xiàn)心臟和食道組織發(fā)炎,，約四分之一的患者會(huì)出現(xiàn)心臟或腸道過度肥大,，進(jìn)而引起心跳驟停或猝死,。
根據(jù)PLoS Neglected Tropical Disease近日發(fā)表的一篇文章,，美國貝勒醫(yī)學(xué)院的熱帶病專家稱，這種疾病目前在美洲的爆發(fā)形態(tài)十分類似于早期艾滋病的傳播,，因此也查加斯病也被叫作了“新型艾滋病”,。
同艾滋病一樣，查加斯病可通過血液或母嬰傳播,，而且通常具有一個(gè)很長的潛伏期,。除非患者發(fā)現(xiàn)得早，并經(jīng)過3個(gè)月的大劑量藥物治療,，否則基本不可能治愈,。
目前美洲大陸已有約800萬人感染上了這種“新型艾滋病”,，大部分分布在墨西哥,、中美、玻利維亞和哥倫比亞,。其中美國的感染人數(shù)已經(jīng)達(dá)到30萬,。
而據(jù)泛美衛(wèi)生組織稱，查加斯病是一種“窮人的疾病”,，在貧窮區(qū)域發(fā)病率較高,。由于危害大、感染人數(shù)多以及難以預(yù)防等特點(diǎn),，美國疾病預(yù)防控制中心已經(jīng)將其列為五大被忽視的寄生蟲感染疾病之一,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001498
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Chagas Disease: “The New HIV/AIDS of the Americas”
Peter J. Hotez1,2*, Eric Dumonteil3, Laila Woc-Colburn2,4, Jose A. Serpa2,4, Sarah Bezek2,5, Morven S. Edwards2,6, Camden J. Hallmark2,7, Laura W. Musselwhite8, Benjamin J. Flink8, Maria Elena Bottazzi1,2
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are among the most common conditions afflicting the estimated 99 million people who live on less than US$2 per day in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region [1]. Almost all of the “bottom 100 million” living in the Americas suffer from at least one NTD [1], and according to some estimates, the NTDs cause a burden of disease in the LAC region that closely approximates or even exceeds that resulting from HIV/AIDS [2]. Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) is a vector-borne disease and a leading cause of the deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost that result from NTDs in the LAC region [2]. With approximately 10 million people living with Chagas disease, this condition is one of the most common NTDs affecting the bottom 100 million in the region, a prevalence exceeded only by hookworm and other soil-transmitted helminth infections [1], [2]. Moreover, among the NTDs in the Americas, Chagas disease ranks near the top in terms of annual deaths and DALYs lost [1], [2].
