UTEP study finds sharp rise in Chagas parasite in kissing bugs near El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso have found a sharp increase in the number of insects carrying the parasite that causes Chagas disease, raising new concerns about the potential for local transmission in the Borderland region.

Chagas disease is caused by a protozoan parasite that can lodge in the heart or intestines and lead to serious health problems years after infection, including severe heart disease and gastrointestinal complications.

“It is a disease caused by a protozoan parasite that lodges into the tissues of the heart or the intestines and in the long term, it can cause severe cardiomyopathy and serious intestinal issues,” Priscilla Farani, assistant professor UTEP's Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, said.

The disease is spread by blood-feeding insects known as kissing bugs, or triatomine bugs.

Faroni said the insects used in recent studies were found along trails in the Franklin Mountains and in residential areas, particularly near wood piles and shaded spaces where the bugs can hide.

“Historically, the triatomine bugs were confined to endemic areas in Latin America, but with changes in climate and human movement we are finding them more frequently in the northern regions of the United States,” Faroni said.

In a recent study, UTEP researchers found that 88.5 percent of kissing bugs collected in El Paso County and southern New Mexico tested positive for the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. A similar study conducted in 2021 found infection rates of about 66 percent.

“The infection prevalence in kissing bugs has risen significantly, indicating a marked upward trend,” Rosa Maldonado, UTEP professor of biological sciences and lead author of the study, said.

Faroni said Chagas disease can infect both humans and animals. Pets are particularly vulnerable if they spend a lot of time outdoors.

“In animals, especially pets that are kept outside, they are much more prone to being infected,” she said, noting that a 2021 surveillance study found about 60 percent of tested stray animals in the area were infected.

Symptoms in humans can be difficult to recognize and often resemble common illnesses.

“The symptoms are very broad and can look like flu-like symptoms, such as tiredness or a runny nose, so people usually do not correlate them with Chagas disease,” Faroni said.

If detected early, the disease can be treated with medications that are up to 90 percent effective. Treatment is far less effective once the disease reaches its chronic phase, which can occur years after infection.

Researchers believe the rising numbers may not reflect a new problem, but rather one that went largely unstudied in the past.

“We think it was probably always here, but it was never assessed before, so we did not know how established the cycle was in this region,” Faroni said.

UTEP researchers are now planning a large collaborative project with pharmacy, biological sciences and nursing programs, along with the Texas Department of Health, to begin surveillance in humans.

“With the numbers that we are seeing, this is becoming a public health concern and it is time for action,” Faroni said.

Health experts recommend sealing cracks in homes, removing wood piles and debris near houses, keeping pets indoors when possible and seeking medical care if bitten by a kissing bug.