article

MADRID, SPAIN - 2025/05/09: Panstrongylus megistus displayed in Faunia zoo. Panstrongylus megistus is a blood-drinking insect in the subfamily Triatominae, is an important vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. (Photo by Expand

LOS ANGELES - Health officials are sounding the alarm on Chagas disease, a potentially deadly condition transmitted by an insect known as the "kissing bug".

It is now considered an endemic in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UCLA Health.

What we know:

Health experts believe about 45,000 people in Los Angeles County are already infected and more than 300,000 people in the United States are infected. According to UCLA Health , fewer than 2% of those infected know they car

See Full Page