WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) -- A study is challenging decades of public health assumptions by calling for Chagas disease to be officially recognized as endemic to the United States. The parasitic illness, long considered a Latin American concern, has quietly taken root across the southern U.S. -- including Florida.
Published in the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, the study highlights mounting evidence of locally acquired infections in humans, wildlife, and domestic animals. Dr. Norman Beatty, an infectious disease specialist at UF's College of Medicine and the Emerging Pathogens Institute, co-authored the report alongside experts from Texas A&M, UC Berkeley, and the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, transmitted primarily through the bite of triatomine insects -- commonly known as "kissing bugs." These bugs are found in 32 states, including Florida, where they've been documented harboring the parasite since the 1980s, according to the CDC.
"Florida's warm climate and diverse wildlife make it a prime environment for triatomine insects and the sylvatic cycle of T. cruzi," according to the study. "We've seen infections in opossums, raccoons, and even zoo animals. The risk to humans is real, especially in rural and outdoor settings."
The study urges public health agencies to reclassify Chagas disease as "hypoendemic" in the U.S. -- meaning it occurs at low but consistent levels. This shift could unlock better surveillance, funding, and physician awareness, especially in states like Florida, where the disease is underrecognized.
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While Texas has led the way in documenting autochthonous, locally acquired cases, Florida's role in research and ecology is pivotal. The state's wildlife reservoirs and increasing encounters with kissing bugs underscore the need for local education and prevention strategies.
"Labeling Chagas as non-endemic has created blind spots in diagnosis and care," the authors write. "Florida and other southern states must be part of the solution."
You can read the full study in the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.