WIKIMEDIA COMMONS │ Kissing bugs, which transmit Chagas disease through their bite, have been found to be increasing in population in the United States.
Chagas disease, an infectious parasitic disease spread by insects known as “kissing bugs,” is becoming increasingly prominent in the United States, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This infection, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite usually found in the feces of infected triatomine insects, commonly referred to as kissing bugs due to their tendency to bite on and near the face. Chagas disease is most commonly found in South and Central American countries, where around 30,000 new cases occur each year.
While most cases of Chagas disease in the United States were once predominantly linked to travel to the region, kissing bugs have been recorded in increasing numbers within the country. This month, the CDC declared that Chagas disease is now endemic, or regularly occurring, within the United States.
Though Chagas disease has not been recorded in Washington, D.C., awareness remains important as its prominence increases.
Charlotte Philips (CAS ’28), a student studying biology of global health, emphasized the importance of informing the public about little-known diseases like Chagas disease.
“It’s not a very well-known or easily recognizable disease among the American public,” Philips wrote to The Hoya. “That can make tracking and treating it very difficult, which raises fear about the prevalence of asymptomatic cases that can irreparably damage someone’s health.”
Symptoms of Chagas disease include swelling around the site of the bug bite, fever and body aches. If the disease is not diagnosed and treated with antiparasitic medicine in its early acute stage, which lasts around two months, it enters a potentially deadly chronic stage for which there is currently no cure.
In this later stage, which lasts decades after the initial infection, around 20% of patients develop heart or digestive problems that can lead to death. Many cases of Chagas disease can be asymptomatic, so carriers can be unaware they have the disease until it is in its chronic stage, making awareness and prevention crucial.
Angela Sidhu (CAS ’27), a student studying computer science, said guidelines for prevention and medical support will ideally become more widely accessible as the prevalence of Chagas disease increases.
“I’m really afraid of these kissing bugs now,” Sidhu told The Hoya. “I don’t know what I can do to prevent the disease, and I wish there was more clear, tangible medical advice about this.”
Philips said the CDC’s recent endemic declaration will hopefully help accelerate mitigation efforts on both a national and local level.
“Hopefully this new declaration will mean more people get screened and tested, and that healthcare professionals will be more aware of the symptoms and the need to treat patients early,” Philips said.
While the kissing bugs are most commonly found in Texas and other southern states, students are concerned about university response if the issue migrates.
Anish Patel (CAS ’28), a student studying biochemistry and government, said public health issues often don’t receive necessary coverage until it’s too late.
“I feel like I haven’t seen much about the health issues in local D.C.,” Patel wrote to The Hoya. “I know that the tuberculosis cases last year might’ve been reported through the Georgetown email, but I personally don’t receive most of this information until it’s something big or something actually hits national news.”
Philips said it is imperative for the Georgetown University community to stay vigilant about the symptoms of the disease and track any new developments that could affect the District.
“It’s better to be safe than sorry, and hopefully increased awareness can help prevent these little-known and insidious diseases from spreading and harming people now and in the future,” Philips said.