Key Takeaways

Chagas disease, spread by 'kissing bugs,' may be becoming endemic in the U.S.

Locally acquired cases have been reported in eight states so far

An estimated 280,000 people in the U.S. have the disease

TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Chagas disease — a potentially serious illness spread by an insect called the “kissing bug” — may be establishing itself in the United States, according to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report .

The disease is common in 21 countries in the Americas, but growing evidence suggests it may also be becoming endemic in the U.S.

"Autochthonous (or, locally acquired) human cases have been reported in eight states, most notably in Texas. Labeling the United States as non-Chagas disease-endemic perpetuates low

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