infections
Chagas Disease
Prevention of Chagas Disease
Plastering walls, replacing thatched roofs, and/or repeatedly spraying houses with insecticides that have long-lasting effects can help reduce the number of kissing bugs and thus help control spread of Chagas disease. Rarely, travelers to areas where the infection occurs become infected. Not sleeping in adobe houses or, if sleeping in such houses, using bed nets can help travelers avoid infection. Locals and travelers in areas where infection occurs should avoid consuming freshly prepared fruit and cane juices from unsanitary sources, such as street vendors. Blood and organ donors are screened in many affected countries, including the United States, to prevent the infection from being spread through infected blood transfusions or organ transplants. Screening at-risk women of child bearing-age before pregnancy, and treating those who are infected, decreases the likelihood of congenital infection. 