acute disease
Last reviewed 01/2018
In the acute disease the systemic spread of parasites may be accompanied by:
- fever, malaise, oedema of the face and lower extremities, hepatosplenomegaly and generalized lymphadenopathy.
- muscle parasatization, especially of the heart causing severe myocarditis.
- parasitization of the CNS may occur - rarely meningoencephalitis may occur.
- after 4 to 6 weeks there is spontaneous resolution of the acute illness.
- after the acute illness most patients enter the indeterminate phase of T. cruzi infection.
- in the indeterminate phase there are lifelong, low-grade parasitaemias in association with antibodies to many T. cruzi antigens.