Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates
13:55

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates

Published on: January 27, 2019

Trypanosoma cruzi and Chagas' Disease in the United States

Caryn Bern1, Sonia Kjos, Michael J Yabsley

  • 1Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. cxb9@cdc.gov

Clinical Microbiology Reviews
|October 7, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, affects the heart and gastrointestinal tract. While endemic in Latin America, the United States sees cases from vectors and imported infections, necessitating updated public health strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Chagas disease is a serious parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi.
  • The parasite can lead to life-threatening cardiac and gastrointestinal conditions.
  • Enzootic cycles of T. cruzi exist in the southern United States, involving various triatomine vector species and animal reservoirs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the epidemiology of Chagas disease in the United States.
  • To identify the vectors and reservoirs of Trypanosoma cruzi in the US.
  • To highlight the changing patterns of Chagas disease transmission and the role of the US in addressing it.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on Trypanosoma cruzi vectors and reservoirs in the US.
  • Analysis of reported autochthonous, transfusion-associated, and organ donor-derived human infections.
  • Assessment of the prevalence of T. cruzi in different animal hosts and geographic regions.

Main Results:

  • Eleven triatomine vector species are recognized in the southern US, with higher diversity and density in the western regions.
  • Woodrats are common reservoirs in the west, while raccoons, opossums, armadillos, and skunks are key reservoirs in the east.
  • Seven autochthonous human infections were reported, alongside seven transfusion-associated and six organ donor-derived cases.

Conclusions:

  • The United States has established enzootic cycles of Trypanosoma cruzi with diverse vectors and reservoirs.
  • While autochthonous infections are rare, imported cases are increasing due to immigration and organ/blood donations.
  • The US must adapt public health strategies to manage the evolving epidemiology of Chagas disease.

More Related Videos

In Vitro Drug Screening Against All Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi Using Parasites Expressing β-galactosidase08:48

In Vitro Drug Screening Against All Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi Using Parasites Expressing β-galactosidase

Published on: November 5, 2021

Ready-To-Use qPCR for Detection of DNA from Trypanosoma cruzi or Other Pathogenic Organisms05:50

Ready-To-Use qPCR for Detection of DNA from Trypanosoma cruzi or Other Pathogenic Organisms

Published on: January 20, 2022

Related Concept Videos

American Trypanosomiasis01:22

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Sexually Transmitted Infections01:26

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases transmitted primarily through unsafe sexual interactions. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause them and can result in severe health complications if untreated.ChlamydiaThe bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the disease Chlamydia, the most common STI in the United States. This peculiar pathogen requires human cells to reproduce, residing intracellularly. The initial infection often goes unnoticed because it typically does not...
Leishmaniasis01:30

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a protozoal disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. The parasite exists in two principal morphological forms during its life cycle. A sandfly acquires intracellular amastigotes from an infected reservoir host, such as a dog. Within the sandfly, these forms differentiate into motile, flagellated promastigotes. During a subsequent blood meal, promastigotes are injected into the human host, where they...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
Trichomoniasis01:18

Trichomoniasis

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated protozoan parasite and the causative agent of trichomoniasis, one of the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infections in the United States. This extracellular parasite primarily colonizes the lower genitourinary tract in women—particularly the vagina—and in men, the urethra and prostate. Its structural and functional adaptations enable its survival, motility, and pathogenicity within the host environment.Structural Features and Host EntryT.