The 10 Most Common Parasitic Infections

8. American trypanosomiasis

Similar to African trypanosomiasis, American trypanosomiasis arises from a trypanosoma parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. Known also as Chagas disease, the infection affects eight million people in the Americas, primarily rural regions of Central and South America. Cases of Chagas disease do occur, however, in urban areas and the United States. The disease usually spreads through infected triatomine insects or kissing bugs; the insects bite and then defecate on the skin, transmitting the infection into the body. Acute phase symptoms include fever, body aches, diarrhea, vomiting, and swelling in the affected area. The infection can progress into chronic complications affecting the cardiac and gastrointestinal systems.