ABSTRACT
This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Trypanosoma cruzi in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis is a zoonosis caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, named in honor of the Brazilian physician and researcher Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas in 1909, who recognized the presence of the parasite in a rural population. The parasite has different life stages together with a great adaptability to survive in different hosts, including various mammals due to numerous transmission routes that have emerged due to urbanization and globalization. The chapter provides the reader a holistic view of Chagas disease and its importance in terms of foodborne pathogen. The main mechanism of transmission of Chagas disease is the vector route. However, other types of transmission are less frequent, such as vertical transmission, transfusion, organ transplantation, laboratory accidents, and oral transmission.
