17 people detected with Chagas disease in Yucatan so far in 2023

According to the Epidemiological Bulletin of the Federal Health Secretariat, Yucatan has reported 17 cases of Chagas disease so far this year, which represents an increase of 14 more incidents compared to the same period in 2022.

The report, with data up to epidemiological week number 12, revealed that 17 cases of American Trypanosomiasis, better known as Chagas disease, were detected in public hospitals in the state, with 12 of them being men and the rest being women.

These 17 cases put Yucatan in first place at the peninsular level, as Quintana Roo has only recorded two cases, both in women, while Campeche reports one case in a male patient. At the national level, Veracruz is the state with the most cases, with 37.

It should be noted that Chagas disease is an inflammatory and infectious disease caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, which is found in the feces of the triatomine insect, also known as the kissing bug, but in Yucatan it is referred to as “pic“.

The symptoms of the disease can range from mild to severe, although many people do not present symptoms until they reach the chronic stage, when it is no longer possible to kill the parasite. In this stage, the focus is on controlling the signs and symptoms.

TYT Newsroom