Chagas disease is often associated with Latin America, but new research from Augusta University is raising questions about how frequently the potentially serious infection may be going undiagnosed in the United States.

Jose Vazquez, MD, division chief and professor of medicine in infectious diseases at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, and his team recently tested farmworkers for antibodies associated with Chagas disease as part of a seroprevalence study.

Of 155 blood specimens collected, 15 tested positive, a positivity rate of nearly 10%. The finding was particularly notable because Vazquez points to a recent study from Columbia and Greenville, South Carolina, that found a positivity rate of 2% to 3%.

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is found predominantly in Latin America. An estimated 240,000 to 350,000 people are infected in the United States. The disease can be especially difficult to identify because approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic. When complications do develop, they can include serious cardiac and gastrointestinal problems.

Dr. Jose Vazquez studies and treats infectious diseases, including COVID-19, antibiotic-resistant superbugs and fungal infections.

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Vazquez's interest in the disease became personal after someone he knew, originally from El Salvador, suffered cardiac arrest and was subsequently diagnosed with Chagas disease and severe cardiomyopathy. That experience helped prompt Vazquez to look more closely at the disease and its potential prevalence among populations in the region.

“The reason why I’m doing it is twofold: One is if they’re positive, so we can treat them and maybe prevent these complications.” Jose Vazquez, MD

For journalists covering Chagas disease, infectious diseases, health disparities, migrant and farmworker health, disease screening or emerging public health concerns in the United States, Vazquez can provide expert insight into what these findings mean and why greater awareness and screening may be important. Simply click on his profile now to arrange an interview today.