Goiânia issues health alert after rise in Chagas disease vectors

The City of Goiânia has issued a public health alert following a significant increase in the presence of triatomine bugs, commonly known as ‘barbeiros’, which can transmit the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite responsible for Chagas disease.

Between January and September 2026, the Municipal Zoonosis Surveillance Directorate identified 29 insects, representing an increase of more than 100% compared to the same period in 2025. In April 2026, the Dr. Giovanni Cysneiros State Public Health Laboratory (Lacen-GO) detected the first insect in Goiânia with a natural infection of the parasite.

Health officials noted that while the presence of infected insects is a concern, it does not automatically mean local residents have contracted the disease. Experts suggest that urban expansion, deforestation, and climate change may be driving these insects closer to residential areas by destroying their natural habitats and food sources.

Chagas disease can be transmitted through contact with the insect's feces on skin lesions or mucous membranes, through contaminated food, from pregnant women to their babies, or, more rarely, via blood transfusions.