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The Gulf of Mexico is becoming a hotspot for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), particularly in the subtropical areas of North America. This region includes large urban centers such as Houston, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Havana, and New Orleans, as well as rural populations. The high rates of NTDs in this area are not necessarily new, but rather a result of extreme poverty, environmental degradation, and a warm subtropical climate. Similar NTDs are also prevalent in the Gulf Coast states of Mexico, including dengue, West Nile virus, and Chagas disease. International cooperation between the US and Mexico, as well as public and private scientific institutions, is needed to control and eliminate these diseases. Efforts should focus on disease surveillance, vector control, deworming, and research and development for diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines. Collaboration between the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and the "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi" Regional Research Center of the Autonomous University of Yucatan is already underway, with a focus on Chagas disease. International collaboration is crucial in combating these cross-border diseases, and a consortium of Gulf of Mexico biomedical institutions could advance disease control and elimination efforts in the region. [Extracted from the article]