Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

Can people contract Chagas disease by eating unwashed fruit?

Deanna Pistono, MinnPost

yes

Chagas disease, the subject of a recently published paper highlighting its prevalence in the U.S., can be transmitted by eating food contaminated by the feces of so-called kissing bugs. Researchers do not know the extent to which foodborne transmission is causing the disease in the U.S., if at all, but some worry about the potential for an outbreak.

The most common way to contract Chagas disease is by absorbing infected kissing bug feces, which can enter the body through bites, cuts or openings like eyes. Kissing bugs do not currently live in Minnesota or its neighboring states. Missouri is the nearest of eight states with reports of locally contracted Chagas disease.

The CDC estimates 280,000 people in the U.S. have Chagas disease. Symptoms are typically mild or nonexistent, but about 20% to 30% of those infected develop serious problems, including cardiovascular and digestive issues.

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Sources

Emerging Infectious Diseases Chagas Disease, an Endemic Disease in the United States
University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute Foodborne Chagas disease causes severe symptoms and may be more common than we think
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention About Chagas Disease
CNN ‘Kissing bug’ disease is here to stay in the US, experts say. Here’s why it’s spreading

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Can people contract Chagas disease by eating unwashed fruit?

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