Overview

• A CDC-linked review reports triatomine “kissing bugs” are documented in about 32 states, challenging the long-held view that the U.S. is nonendemic for Chagas disease.
• Locally acquired human infections have been confirmed in eight states—California, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas.
• An estimated 300,000 people in the U.S. are infected, with researchers citing roughly one-third of cases in California, though many infections were acquired outside the country.
• Public-health efforts are expanding, with Los Angeles County now testing for Chagas and collecting data to improve detection and care.
• The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is typically transmitted when an infected kissing bug defecates after feeding, and experts stress that early antiparasitic treatment can prevent severe cardiac and gastrointestinal complications.