Chagas Disease, spread by “Kissing Bugs,” on the rise in the U.S.

WASHINGTON D.C. — Chagas disease, a potentially fatal illness transmitted by the “kissing bug” (triatomine insect), may be becoming endemic in the United States, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report, published in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, challenges the long-held belief that the U.S. is “non-endemic” to the disease, which is already present in 21 countries in the Americas.

A Growing Threat

The report notes that autochthonous (or locally acquired) human cases have been reported in eight states: Texas, California, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The insect itself has been found in 32 states.

“Labeling the United States as non-Chagas disease-endemic perpetuates low a