title: Kissing bugs in the United States: risk for vector-borne disease in humans.
abstract: Eleven species of kissing bugs are found in the United States. Their home ranges may be expanding northward, perhaps as a consequence of climate change. At least eight of the species, perhaps all, are reported to harbor Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. Because humans are encroaching on kissing bug habitat, there is concern for vector-transmitted Chagas disease in the United States. To date, documented autochthonous cases of Chagas in humans in the United States are rare. Kissing bugs are capable of adapting to new habitats such as human domiciles; however, they do not colonize homes in the United States as in Central and South America. We review the biology, behavior, and medical importance of kissing bugs and the risk they pose for transmission of Chagas disease in the United States. Where possible, descriptions of US species are compared to the epidemiologically important Latin American species.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Klotz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Dorn
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, MPVM Program, University of California, Davis, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosbacher
authors.affiliation: Southwestern Biological Institute, Tucson, USA.
authors.forename: Justin O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Schmidt
keywords: Chagas disease; Trypanosoma cruzi; anaphylaxis; kissing bug bites; kissing bugs; pest management; triatomine