Updates to HIV Clinical Guidelines on Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections: Chagas Disease

The Panel on Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV (the Panel) updated the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIVExit Disclaimer. Highlights from the updated sections are summarized below: 

Chagas Disease

• Updated information on the epidemiology of Chagas disease, a disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (a type of protozoa). Chagas disease is most commonly transmitted when people come into contact with the feces of an infected reduviid bug, a blood-sucking insect that feeds on humans and animals. In the earliest stage of infection, Chagas disease usually has few signs or symptoms. However, if untreated, the disease becomes a lifelong infection. In people with HIV, reactivation of chronic Chagas disease can cause inflammation of the brain and meninges (meningoencephalitis).
• Updated information on the administration of nifurtimox to prevent or treat Chagas disease, and its approval status with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

For a list of all recent updates, please see What's New in the Guidelines. To view or download the guidelines, go to the Adult and Adolescent Opportunistic Infection Guidelines section of the Clinicalinfo.hiv.gov website. The guidelines tables and recommendations also can be downloaded as separate PDF files.