It is speculated by Medical "historians" that Charles Darwin may have
contracted it in Argentina
when traveling with the Beagle, and his ill health years later in Britain was a
result. The
disease is somewhat related to sleeping sickness in Africa. No effective
treatments after the
acute infection stage. There are a variety of hosts including the so called
"kissing bugs". In the
South Possums are sometimes blood carriers, I seem to remember. Sleeping
sickness in Africa is
carried by a different host a sort of Horse fly (on steroids). Control
programs there have been
pretty effective at controlling the flys using animal like decoys made from a
simple frame with a
cloth sheet on it painted with pesticide. Dead flys collect in piles underneath
and the frames get
painted every 6 months or so.
Tim Hughes
--- Winsor Crosby <wincros@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Interesting he did not say it was a tick which is not properly an
> insect, but an arachnid. Well, maybe he called it a bug for our benefit.
>
>
> Winsor
> Long Beach, CA
> USA
>
>
> On Sep 21, 2006, at 12:45 PM, Tim Hughes wrote:
>
> > That sounds like Chagas disease. Which can be very debilitating but
> > first symptoms after about
> > 10-20 years, but does not kill for many years ,shortens life
> > expectancy. It causes damage to the
> > heart I believe. An orphan disease because it affects mainly third
> > world poor people in central
> > and South America so no market for drug/vacine companies.
> > Occasionally found in US in rural South.
> > The tick that causes it typically lives in the thatch roofing where
> > it occurs. Common cause of
> > infection is rubbing your eyes after having your hands be
> > contaminated by bug fecaes.
> > Tim Hughes
> >
> > --- Winsor Crosby <wincros@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
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