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VIII.24 - Cestode Infections

from Part VIII - Major Human Diseases Past and Present

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2008

Kenneth F. Kiple
Affiliation:
Bowling Green State University, Ohio
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Summary

Cestodes or tapeworms are a class of flatworms in the phylum Platyhelminthes. The adult stages of four species and the larval stages of two are important parasites of humankind. Several other species, most of which normally parasitize other vertebrates, can also cause human disease. Chagas' disease is an illness of the Americas which can take the form of either an acute, febrile, generalized infection or a chronic process. The cause is a protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi, which is harbored by both domesticated and wild animals. In fact, Chagas' disease is the leading cause of cardiac death of young adults in parts of South America. The disease, which probably had its origins in Brazil, is limited to the Western Hemisphere, with heavy concentrations in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela. Cases are also reported in Peru, Mexico, and most other Central and South American countries along with the Caribbean islands and the United States.
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1993

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