Chagas disease now endemic in parts of the United States

Researchers and public health experts say Chagas disease, a parasitic infection spread by so called kissing bugs, has established a persistent presence in parts of the United States, particularly in the South and California, and is likely far more common than official tallies suggest. In a paper published this month in Emerging Infectious Diseases, scientists from Florida, Texas and California argue that ecological evidence and documented local human and animal infections indicate the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and its vectors are now endemic in parts of the country.

Chagas is transmitted primarily when triatomine insects feed on a person and defecate near the bite; parasite-containing feces can enter the body through the wound or mucous membranes. The infection also can be spread by blood transfusion, organ transplant and from mother to child during pregnancy. Most infected people have no symptoms for years, but up to a third of chronically infected individuals eventually develop serious cardiac disease, including heart failure, arrhythmias and sudden death. Antiparasitic drugs such as benznidazole and nifurtimox can clear the infection if given early, but treatment is less...