Chagas (Trypanosoma cruzi) IgG ELISA

Enzyme immunoassay for the qualitative determination of IgG antibodies against Chagas in human serum or plasma (citrate, heparin). Chagas’ disease occurs in Middle and South America. It is an Infectious Disease transmitted to humans through the bite wound caused by an infected bug of the family reduviidae. The infection is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi a unicellular parasite. The infection passes through different phases and causes an often chronic disease. 4 to 5 million people in South America are suffering from it. People living under poor conditions are mainly jeopardized. Up to 10 % of all infections are fatal; babies and neonates have a special risk. The infection is transmitted to humans by different bug species of the family reduviidae. The parasite does not enter the human body with the bit of the bug. Trypanosoma cruzi lives in faeces of the bug and invades into humans by skin wounds. Newborns are at risk by infection in utero. An infection via blood transfusion is also possible. 1-2% of all infected people show symptoms after an incubation time of one to four weeks. Children up to 15 years old are mainly affected. The disease passes through three different phases. During acute phase fever, diarrhoea, gripes, swollen lymph nodes and swelling of the whole body appears. Especially in neonates and infants inflammation of heart or brain are possible. The acute phase lasts for ca. 4 weeks. The acute Chagas disease is mostly a disease of children. In many cases the disease is healed up. The following latency period is characterized by lack of symptoms for most of the patients. Occasionally a weakening of the immune system takes place. This phase can last several years. 10 to 20 % of infected people reach the chronic phase. Different inner organs like heart, intestinal tract or neuronal system can be affected. Patients often die be sudden cardiac death or as the result of a chronic heart insufficiency. The prognosis depends upon the degree of heart variance. A variety of diagnostic methods have been used, but detection of antibodies to T. cruzi antigens remains the strongest method to diagnose infection.