Scientists Say Pregnant Women Should Be Aware of These Zika-Like Diseases Too
Zika virus, the disease that's been linked to a surge in babies born with severe brain damage in Brazil, is terrifying, to say the least. But scientists at the University of Iowa say Zika isn't the only vector-borne disease that pregnant women should have on their radar.
Researchers specifically call out two diseases—Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis—in a new research paper published in the journal* PLOS Pathogens*. Both are potentially life threatening and, like Zika virus, can be passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn child. However, experts also say they pale in comparison to the potential threat of Zika virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chagas disease (also known as American trypanosomiasis) is found only in the Americas, although it's mainly in rural areas of Latin America.
An estimated 8 million people in Mexico and Central and South America have Chagas disease, which can cause flu-like symptoms, followed by heart complications (such as an enlarged heart, heart failure, or heart attack), as well as an enlarged colon or esophagus. It's largely transmitted through a bite from triatomine bugs, a.k.a. "kissing bugs."
Leishmaniasis is spread by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies and is found most often in tropical and subtropical areas, as well as southern Europe, according to the CDC. People who are infected may develop sores on their skin, fever, weight loss, and swelling of the spleen and liver.
But should average pregnant American women be worried about them? Not really, says Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital in Ohio. "In general, women who are pregnant and are traveling on vacation to these areas where Chagas and Leishmaniasis exist have a very low risk of getting it," he says. "The risk is higher in people who were born in these areas and have lived there a long time."
The kissing bugs that transmit Chagas, for example, are often found in areas with poor sanitation and phlebotomine sand flies are more common in rural areas. (The CDC specifically cites adventure travelers, ecotourists, Peace Corps volunteers, missionaries, soldiers, and ornithologists (people who study birds) as being the most at risk of developing Leishmaniasis.)
But Christine Peterson, Ph.D., director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at The University of Iowa says the diseases are a concern in border states like California and Texas, as well as some areas that have a large immigrant population. "There are areas of the U.S. where medical professionals really aren't thinking about these diseases—and infected babies can be killed by these diseases as a result," she says.
Both diseases can have serious, long-term consequences for mothers and their babies if they're not treated, Watkins says. But, unlike Zika virus, a baby with Chagas or Leishmaniasis will be OK if cared for after diagnosis.
Overall, Watkins says the average pregnant woman shouldn't stay up at night worrying about Chagas and Leishmaniasis—especially if you have no plans to travel—but they're worth having on your radar.
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