Breakthroughs begin here: UF expert leads the charge on Chagas disease
Norman Beatty, M.D., FACP, has tracked the disease’s spread through the Americas for more than a decade
April 14, 2026 — In a September report published by the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, scientists sounded the alarm on Chagas disease, a potentially deadly parasitic infection transmitted by a small insect known as the kissing bug.
The research was clear: Chagas disease is an endemic infectious disease in the U.S., requiring more attention, awareness and resources for disease prevention and patient care.
“Chagas disease is a disease of the Americas,” said University of Florida College of Medicine clinical associate professor Norman L. Beatty, M.D., FACP, who was first author on the study. “It impacts not only an individual but whole families. Here in the United States, it is being transmitted, and we need to investigate who is at risk and how many people are living with this chronic infection.”
Norman Beatty, M.D., FACP, examining a captured kissing bug in the field.
Photo by Sergio Mendez-Cardona
In more than 17 U.S. states, wild animals such as opossums, raccoons and armadillos have been documented as infected. Domestic cats and dogs have also been impacted. But what makes Chagas disease endemic to the U.S. is the now regular occurrence of people being infected locally. It’s been documented in eight states: California, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Norman Beatty, M.D., FACP
Photo by Jesse Jones
In Florida, where Chagas disease is not required to be reported to local or state health departments, the true extent of the disease is unknown. Beatty and his colleagues are working to establish a statewide network of clinicians and health care institutions to better monitor and understand it, an effort anchored by the UF Health Chagas Disease Clinic — one of the only clinics in the United States solely dedicated to Chagas.
Currently, most experts agree that 250,000 to 300,000 people are living with chronic Chagas disease in the United States. Florida is estimated to have the third-highest burden, reaching up to 20,000 people living with the disease.
As an infectious diseases expert and a global leader in the charge on Chagas disease, Beatty has spent more than a decade researching kissing bugs and the Chagas disease culprit, the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, from all angles. Tracking its spread through Latin America, Florida and the southern U.S. has often involved collaboration with multidisciplinary scientists from across UF, Texas A&M University, the University of South Florida, the University of Miami and even international partners, like the University of Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia.
Two kissing bug nymphs on a leaf.
Photo by Sergio Mednez-Cardona
Transmission typically happens through exposure to the kissing bug, most commonly when the bug bites and defecates the parasite on you or in the environment. Common activities like hunting and camping can raise your risk of a kissing bug exposure, and standard bug spray does not repel the insects. But kissing bugs aren’t just lying in wait for unlucky victims in the woods. The nocturnal insects may be in your backyard or crawling indoors while you sleep, transmitting the parasites through unnoticed bites and droppings.
That’s why screening for the disease is so important. And the good news is, it only requires a simple blood test, available at UF Health and other labs around the country.
From left to right: Norman Beatty, M.D., FACP, UF medical student Rodrigo Alcala-Arana and University of California, Berkeley, doctoral student Bernardo Peniche on a research trip in Boyacá, Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Norman Beatty, M.D., FACP
“Our multidisciplinary team is screening people at risk, treating and managing all aspects of this disease,” Beatty said. “It’s great to work with so many passionate people who truly want to make a difference.”
Beatty recommends talking to your primary care doctor about getting tested if you’ve lived in, were born in or traveled to a region where Chagas disease is endemic. Chronic Chagas disease can manifest in heart and digestive system symptoms like feeling “funny” heartbeats called palpitations, unusual shortness of breath, problems swallowing or constipation that worsens over time.
Administering antiparasitic medications is one treatment option, he said, and cardiologists can also help manage heart disease caused by Chagas. Beatty is currently overseeing a clinical trial at UF Health to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of a new oral medication to treat chronic Chagas disease.
“Chagas disease is here in Florida,” he said. “The work we are doing has already led to a rising awareness of this neglected tropical disease in our state. Ultimately, the big picture is to develop a statewide infrastructure for testing, health care access and treatment to help those living with the disease.”
Learn more about Chagas disease and Beatty’s ongoing research efforts in episode 5 of the Gatordocs podcast, and check out his latest publication, “Chagas disease in Florida: An emerging one health challenge in the United States.”
