Cardiac involvement with parasitic infections.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Cardiology

Background:

• Parasitic infections, once confined to tropical regions, are now diagnosed globally due to increased travel and migration.
• These infections can impact the heart, causing conditions such as myocarditis, pericarditis, pancarditis, and pulmonary hypertension.
• Chagas' disease is a significant parasitic heart infection, now considered a global health issue due to population migration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the increasing relevance of parasitic heart infections in non-endemic, developed countries.
• To emphasize the importance of considering parasitic infections in the differential diagnosis of cardiac diseases.
• To discuss the public health challenge posed by parasitic heart diseases, particularly Chagas' disease.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on parasitic infections affecting the heart.
• Analysis of global travel and migration patterns in relation to disease distribution.
• Discussion of diagnostic considerations for clinicians in developed settings.

Main Results:

• Parasitic heart diseases are increasingly diagnosed worldwide, necessitating broader clinical awareness.
• Chagas' disease represents a major global parasitic cardiac infection.
• Advances in treating African trypanosomiasis show promise for preventing neurological and cardiac complications.

Conclusions:

• Clinicians globally must consider parasitic infections in patients with myocardial and pericardial disease.
• The lack of effective preventive and therapeutic strategies for many parasitic heart diseases, especially Chagas' disease, presents a significant public health challenge.
• Further research and development of treatments are critical for managing these life-threatening infections.