Overview

• A CDC report finds triatomine kissing bugs established in 32 states and concludes the parasite they carry now sustains endemic transmission in the United States.
• Locally acquired human cases have been confirmed in eight states: California, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.
• Roughly 280,000 people in the U.S. are estimated to be infected, yet diagnoses are rare and often first detected through blood-donor screening.
• About 20% to 30% of infections progress to serious heart or digestive complications years after exposure, making early detection and treatment critical.
• Experts advise sealing gaps around homes, using screens, clearing brush and wood piles, keeping pets indoors at night, and noting that transmission can occur from mother to baby and lacks a vaccine.