00:00A deadly infectious disease is quietly spreading in the United States, with experts estimating
00:06at least 300,000 chronic infections in the country, and medical professionals calling
00:11for the disease to be classified as endemic in the U.S.
00:15Here's everything you need to know.
00:17Chagas disease, which is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, or T. cruzi, is typically
00:24transmitted from Triotominae, more commonly known as kissing bugs.
00:30The disease is no joke.
00:31In Latin America, it has been more deadly than malaria.
00:35Worldwide, more than 7 million people are estimated to carry the parasite, and over 10,000 people
00:40die from it every year.
00:42Chagas is already considered endemic in 21 countries, which means it's a regularly occurring disease.
00:49But now, kissing bugs are moving north.
00:52The bloodsuckers have been found in 32 states across the country, and the American Heart
00:56Association estimates that around 300,000 people have Chagas disease in the U.S., with up to
01:02100,000 in California alone, where it's been found in wildlife at L.A.'s iconic Griffith
01:08Park.
01:09At least eight Americans have caught Chagas disease through local transmission, leading
01:13scientists to urge the CDC and WHO to officially declare the life-threatening illness endemic
01:19in the U.S.
01:21The kissing bug gets its name from being known to bite people on the face, although it's
01:25not picky.
01:26It will also bite anywhere it can draw blood from.
01:30Kissing bugs can range from a half an inch to one and a half inches long.
01:34They have a cone-shaped head, thin antennae, and thin legs.
01:39Their bodies are darkly colored with distinctive red, orange, or yellow stripes around their bodies.
01:45The pests usually infect people via the poop they leave behind near a bite wound, but it
01:50can also be spread via organ donations, blood transfusions, or mothers who pass it onto their
01:55babies during pregnancy, according to the WHO.
01:59What makes the disease extra frightening is that it has a ticking time bomb aspect.
02:04Many of those carrying it don't know and won't know until symptoms pop up years later or
02:10even decades later.
02:12One to three decades after infection, up to a third suffer heart issues, while about one
02:17in ten face digestive problems like an enlarged esophagus or colon.
02:22Infectious disease expert Dr. Andrew Handel of Stony Brook University told the Post that
02:27a majority of people will have no symptoms for years and then decades later can be present
02:32with cardiac symptoms, which are harder to treat as time goes on.
02:37He explained that while complications of Chagas disease are not commonly fatal, it's still
02:42a major concern, and certainly happens.
02:46Over time, damage to the nervous system and muscles in the heart and gut can cause life
02:50threatening complications, such as arrhythmias, heart failure, and even sudden death.
02:56Dr. Daniel Kaplivsky of Mount Sinai also told the Post that early identification of Chagas
03:01disease is important, because in the beginning stages, it is treatable with antiparasitic drugs.
03:08In later phases, scarring of the heart or intestines can occur, and is difficult to
03:12reverse, he noted.
03:14Unfortunately, when it comes to early detection, most people never show early symptoms.
03:20If symptoms do appear in the days to weeks after someone contracts the disease, they
03:24may include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting,
03:32and eyelid swelling.
03:34To make things even more challenging, Chagas is not well known by the general public or even
03:39by much of the medical community in the United States.
03:42This is why some professionals like Dr. Handel and Dr. Kaplivsky are calling for more awareness
03:47of the disease by classifying it as endemic.
03:51All of that said, there are a few things that Americans can be optimistic about, including
03:55that the number of locally acquired cases in the United States is low.
03:59Dr. Handel explained that of the 300,000 estimated cases in the United States, a high majority are
04:05individuals who were infected in countries in Latin and South America and immigrated to
04:10the U.S.
04:11While Dr. Handel explained that Chagas is not something that most Americans should be excessively
04:16concerned about in their daily lives, it's certainly something to be aware of, especially
04:20in the medical community.
04:21Dr. Handel explained that of the U.S.
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