a type of trypanosomiasis, common in Central and South America, caused by a parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) that is carried by reduviid insects, and characterized by the eventual invasion and deterioration of cardiac, gastrointestinal, and nervous tissue
Origin:
after Carlos Chagas, Brazilian physician who identified it (1909)
See Chagas' disease in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
A South American form of trypanosomiasis caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi that is characterized by fever and enlargement of the spleen and lymph nodes.
Origin:
Origin: After Carlos Chagas (1879-1934), Brazilian physician