NYT Though some researchers believe it should be labeled endemic in the United States, most Americans don’t need to worry about getting sick. Perhaps you’ve seen the “kissing bug” disease all over the internet in the past few weeks — and the images of the culprit, a dark, penny-sized insect with orange and red markings along its sides.
Formally called Chagas disease, kissing bug disease is endemic in 21 countries across Latin America. Though it’s nothing new (kissing bugs have been around for thousands of years), the disease is sparking interest and concern stateside: In a paper published this month in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, public health experts argued that Chagas disease should be considered endemic in the United States.
The researchers pointed to the widespread presence of kissing bugs and infected animals in the country, as well as the steady stream of local human cases in Texas between 2013 and 2023. Cases aren’t necessarily increasing, but the researchers argued that an ongoing local presence of Chagas warranted the disease being categorized as endemic, which can help increase its awareness.