Recent research revealed that a potentially fatal parasitic disorder, Chagas disease, has now been identified in humans across the US.
Chagas disease, also known as kissing bug disease, was previously believed to be endemic to Latin America.
The kissing bug disease is also caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite that lives inside a range of species of bloodsucking insects called Triatomine bugs, called, “kissing bugs.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 10,000 people annually lose their lives due to Chagas disease worldwide.
Chagas disease remains unnoticed until severe complications occur, such as cardiac issues, strokes.
Nearly eight states in the US, including Missouri, California, Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and Arkansas, have currently reported the potentially life-threatening disease.
Chagas disease is one of the most underreported diseases in the US, as most states don’t require physicians to report cases, unlike influenza or Lyme disease.
While most cases are contracted abroad, experts warn local infections may be underestimated due to a lack of awareness and no surveillance.
Researchers urged officials to classify it as endemic.. Entomologist Gabriel Hamer called current reports “just the tip of the iceberg.”
Up to 75 million people are vulnerable to contracting the disease all across the globe, with the WHO labelling Chagas a neglected but growing public health concern.