Chronic Phase of Chagas Disease (Determinate Form)

Progression occurs over a period of years to decades after the acute infection. Patients with determinate forms of Chagas disease may have

• Chagas cardiomyopathy

  and/or

• Gastrointestinal Chagas disease

The factors that determine whether an infected individual will develop clinical disease are unknown, but may include host and parasite genetic factors and exposure to repeated infection. Males have a higher risk of heart disease than females.