Chagas Disease: The Silent Parasite Now Endemic in the United States
- Sep 17
- 3 min read
For decades, Chagas disease was dismissed as a foreign threat. A tropical illness from Central and South America, carried north only by travelers and migrants. But new evidence is shaking that belief. Scientists now warn that Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite behind Chagas, is not just arriving. It is spreading within U.S. borders.
At least eight states have confirmed local transmission. Infections are no longer only imported. The parasite has found its footing here, thriving quietly in the shadows. The culprit is the blood-sucking “kissing bug,” a night-time predator that slips into homes, feeds on sleeping victims, and leaves behind more than just a bite. The parasite it carries can linger undetected in the human body for decades.
Chagas disease is terrifying in its stealth. Most people feel nothing at first. Years later, damage surfaces: heart arrhythmias, sudden cardiac arrest, digestive failure. By the time it is caught, the damage is often irreversible. An estimated 300,000 people in the U.S. are already living with Chagas, many without ever knowing.
