CDC Report Highlights Increasing Cases of Chagas Disease, Calls for Expanded Screening
A new report indicates that Chagas disease, transmitted by “kissing bugs,” is increasingly present in the United States and should be treated as endemic, prompting calls from scientists for greater awareness and routine screening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report details cases of locally acquired Chagas in at least eight states.
Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, spread through the bite of triatomine bugs, commonly known as “kissing bugs.” Historically considered a Latin American disease, human advancement has brought people into closer contact with the bugs’ natural habitat, increasing transmission risk within the US.
Despite evidence of local transmission, the disease remains largely underreported due to low awareness among physicians.A 2010 survey of American Medical Association providers revealed that 19% of infectious disease doctors had never heard of Chagas, and 27% expressed a lack of confidence in their knowledge of the disease.
“If you ask physicians about Chagas, they would think that it is either something transmitted by ticks … or they would say that’s something that doesn’t exist in the US,” said Dr. Bernardo Moreno Peniche, a physician and anthropologist involved in the report.
Currently, reliable tests for Chagas are available in the US, and infrastructure exists to screen individuals with potential exposure. Dr. Beatty, a physician specializing in travel medicine and tropical diseases, emphasizes the need to consider Chagas screening as “kind of routine care.”
the report details the experience of Luna, a patient who received a positive test result and initially faced skepticism from her pediatrician, who suggested a “false positive.” After seeking a second opinion, Luna received treatment with an anti-parasitic therapy for two months, experiencing side effects like hives and swelling. While there is no definitive test to confirm long-term success, early treatment significantly reduces the risk of developing chronic symptoms.
The CDC published findings on the matter in both the Gastroenterology journal and its Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.
Advocates, like Luna’s mother Valerie, are urging the CDC to prioritize awareness and testing.”I hope the CDC takes it seriously,” Valerie said, “and that we can move forward and have good awareness, so that people wont to be tested and get tested and get the treatment they need.”
