Clinical disease in dogs:
- Acutely, Chagas disease may present with fever, anorexia,
lymphadenopathy, diarrhea and myocarditis.
- Chronically, this organism strongly targets the myocardium
and CNS, leading to dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias. The
cardiac damage may be initiated by: myocyte damage as trypomastigotes
rupture out of infected cells; toxic by-products of parasite
metabolism; autoimmune destruction of autonomic innervation;
and/or local cardiac vasculature spasms leading to ischemia.
Diagnosis in dogs:
Treatment in dogs:
- nifurtimox
- Significant side-effects include GI signs, peripheral neuropathy,
hemolytic anemia and possibly CNS signs.
- limited availability in the U.S.
