At the 2014 American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene Annual Meeting, a group from Baylor College of Medicine presented a study indicating that there was a growing public health threat in the U.S. in the form of Chagas disease.  The research looked at blood donors in Houston, TX, finding a growing number of tests screening positive for the disease.  In addition, of those that screened positive, 41 percent also showed signs of heart disease related to Chagas disease.  Of particular public health concern is the estimation that 36 percent of positive cases were locally acquired.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Chagas disease is also known as American trypanosomiasis and is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by a protozoan parasite.  Chagas disease is largely unknown in the U.S., but is mainly endemic to 21 Latin American countries.  About 7 million to 8 million people are estimated to be infected worldwide, mostly in Latin America where Chagas disease is generally found.

The disease is spread by parasites known as “kissing bugs” that feed on people’s faces at night.  Medical News Today reports that the study showed a higher number of cases in Texas than previously thought, but other areas of the U.S. are also at risk.  Kissing bugs are found across half the country, so it is possible that they could be carrying the disease to areas previously thought to be unaffected.

Chagas disease is viewed as a “silent killer” because people do not normally feel sick immediately after infection.  As a result, they do seek medical attention after they have been infected.  Still, about 30 percent of those who are infected will develop heart disease as a result.  The current study estimates that current numbers for the national infect rate are 50 times lower than the actual rate of infection.