A potentially deadly parasitic infection known as Chagas disease is spreading across the United States—it has appeared in more than 32 states—and is now endemic, officials said in a new study.
According to the study, released in September by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease may be considered endemic in the United States because of “increasing evidence” that the parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, is being found more often in insects, domestic animals, wildlife, and people, challenging the “nonendemic label” for the United States.
“Several triatomine species are common in the southern United States, where they transmit T. cruzi and invade human dwellings. Wildlife, captive animals, and companion animals, especially dogs, are commonly infected with T. cruzi parasites in this region and serve as reservoirs,” the researchers wrote….