As many as 100,000 Californians may be infected with Chagas disease, a potentially fatal illness caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite transmitted through the faeces of blood-sucking 'kissing bugs,' according to reports.
Around a dozen species of the insect exist in the US, with four found in California. Hotspots such as Griffith Park in Los Angeles are teeming with infected bugs, with a third carrying the parasite. The disease has also been detected in local wildlife, including wood rats, skunks and mice.
Chagas often remains dormant for years before causing serious heart problems, including heart attacks and strokes. While treatable with antiparasitic drugs if caught early, many cases go undiagnosed due to mild initial symptoms such as fever, body aches and swelling.
Researchers are urging the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to classify the disease as endemic in the US, meaning it is consistently present. California has the highest number of cases in the country, partly due to residents coming from areas where the disease is common.
A study by the California Department of Health found that 31 of 40 human cases reported between 2013 and 2023 were acquired abroad, though local transmission could not be ruled out for the remainder. Health experts say the true number of infections is unknown because there is no mandatory reporting system for the disease in California.
Globally, about eight million people have Chagas disease without knowing it, with an estimated 280,000 in the US. Entomologist Gabriel Hamer described confirmed cases as 'just the tip of the iceberg,' noting that many discover they are infected only when attempting to donate blood.
