Chagas disease, commonly known as “kissing bug” disease, may be taking hold in the United States, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in September. Published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, the report noted that human cases have been confirmed in eight states, most notably Texas, while the insect itself has been detected in 32 states, including California, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Missouri.
The parasitic illness, transmitted through the bite of infected triatomine insects, is already endemic in 21 countries across the Americas. The CDC estimates that about eight million people worldwide, including 280,000 in the US, are living with Chagas disease, many without knowing they are infected.
Chagas disease, which is otherwise known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite.
It is commonly referred to as the "silent illness" or the "sleeping sickness," because once infected, a person can carry the parasite for decades before serious symptoms develop.
For years, many communities have been plagued by Chagas disease because not enough has been done to develop proper diagnostic tactics or treatments.
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