I met several people in Argentina with Chagas disease, they were all from rural areas from Northern Argentina. This disease is transmitted by an insect called "Vinchuca". Affects 16-18 million people, with some 100 million (25% of the Latin American population) at risk of acquiring the disease, killing around 50,000 people annually.
First large-scale survey of Chagas disease in the United States confirms that the 'silent killer' is a major public health challenge for the country
A study of almost 5,000 Latin American-born residents of Los Angeles County found that 1.24 percent tested positive for Chagas disease, a parasitic infection that can cause life-threatening heart damage if not treated early. Chagas disease is one of the leading causes of heart failure in Latin America. Ref. Source 8t.
Patients with Chagas disease are often infected with an intestinal parasite. In patients with Chagas disease, the odds of being infected by the intestinal worm Strongyloides stercoralis increases by two-fold, according to a new study. The study underlines the potential benefits of performing a combined screening for both infections among Latin American adults living in Europe. Source 8g.