Climate change could make Chagas more common in the U.S.

In the heart of Illinois, while researching wildlife disease, I made a discovery that stunned me: More than half of the raccoons I sampled were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.

Most Americans have never heard of it. But this neglected tropical disease is no longer confined to the tropics. It’s here, in the United States, spreading silently in wildlife.

Chagas disease can lie dormant in the human body for years before leading to heart failure, stroke, arrhythmias, or sudden death. Once symptoms appear, the damage is often irreversible. The parasite is spread by triatomine insects , also known as “kissing bugs,” which feed on the blood of infected animals like raccoons, opossums, and rodents. They defecate near the bite, and if the feces enter bro