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Article: Ortho-Clinical test for Chagas is cleared by FDA.(FRIDAY, DEC. 15)
- Article from:
- Medical Technology and Devices Week
- Article date:
- December 18, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 AHC Media LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The FDA has approved a new test to screen blood donors for a blood-borne parasite that causes Chagas disease, a tropical disease that is carried by the parasite Trupanosoma cruzi and spread by the so-called "kissing" bug--among other names--or technically triatomine bugs. Also called American trypanosomiasis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta), the disease is commonly found in parts of Mexico, Central and South America. As transplants from those areas have moved into the U.S., the bugs have moved with them and the parasite has been on the increase among blood donors in the U.S. It is estimated that as many as 11 million people are ...