Overview

• Scientists from Florida, Texas, and California argue in a recent Emerging Infectious Diseases paper that Chagas has established a persistent, low‑level presence across the southern United States.
• New reporting cites estimates that 70,000 to 100,000 Californians could be infected, compared with a CDC estimate of roughly 280,000 infections nationwide.
• Evidence for endemic transmission includes locally acquired cases in at least eight states, frequent detection of the parasite in kissing bugs, and established reservoirs in wildlife and pets.
• Los Angeles hotspots such as Griffith Park show high vector infection rates, with about one‑third of sampled kissing bugs carrying Trypanosoma cruzi and infections documented in local animals.
• California lacks statewide mandatory case reporting for Chagas, a state study found most reported cases were acquired abroad, and researchers are urging WHO and the CDC to formally recognize U.S. endemicity.