Potential novel risk factors for autochthonous and sylvatic transmission of human Chagas disease in the United States

Abstract

Abstract Chagas disease is an emerging vector-borne disease in the United States that causes progressive dilated cardiomyopathy in a third of infected humans. While transmission studies have been performed in Latin America, little is known about the source of infection in locally acquired cases in the United States. This letter describes the underlying factors possibly leading to an increased risk of disease transmission among high-risk groups in the United States.

Keywords

• Chagas disease
• Hunting
• United States
• Transmission
• Trypanosoma cruzi
• Wildlife reservoirs