Kissing bugs in the southeastern US are spreading Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite responsible for Chagas disease, which currently infects about 280,000 Americans. Researchers tracked these bugs for ten years, finding over a third of collected bugs in homes and one in three tested carried the parasite. As urban development encroaches on their habitats, the bugs are increasingly entering homes. Experts warn residents in 29 states to reduce exposure, particularly avoiding wood piles near pets where the bugs often reside, as this can facilitate parasite transmission.
Based on 300 kissing bugs collected in 23 Florida counties, the researchers found more than a third of them were in people's homes.
One in three bugs tested also carried Trypanosoma cruzi and infected people and animals in more than half of the counties examined.
Collection
[
|
...
]