Kissing Bugs Harboring Trypanosoma cruzi, Frequently Bite Residents of the US Southwest and Cause Severe Allergic Reactions, But Not Chagas Disease

Kissing bugs are common household pests in the Desert Southwest of the United States. These hematophagous bugs enter homes and suck blood from resident humans and pets. They are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, an enzootic parasite in small mammals and the cause of Chagas disease in humans. Autochthonous cases of Chagas disease are rare in the US despite the presence of the vector and parasite. Environmental and biological factors accounting for this phenomenon need studying.