Overview

• CDC literature review documents T. cruzi–infected triatomine bugs in 32 states, mostly across the South.
• Autochthonous human infections have been confirmed in eight states: Texas, California, Arizona, Louisiana, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas.
• Researchers say formal endemic recognition would prioritize clinician awareness, targeted testing and vector control.
• Chagas is not a reportable illness in most states, leading to uneven case tracking and likely underdiagnosis.
• Infections in dogs have been detected in 23 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with wildlife cases in at least 17 states.