A dangerous parasite disease caused by "kissing bugs" is spreading across the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 300,000 Americans have been infected. They are called kissing bugs because they prefer to bite humans around the mouth or eyes.

These insects transmit a deadly parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, which can cause the Chagas disease. It can lead to heart failure or stroke, gastrointestinal disease and even death. In people who have suppressed immune systems (for example, due to AIDS or chemotherapy), Chagas disease can reactivate with parasites found in the circulating blood. This occurrence can potentially cause severe disease.

The bug was more commonly found in Central and South America, affecting at least 8 million people in those areas, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but it has infected 300,000 people in the U.S.

Chagas disease is endemic throughout central and South America. The public health burden of Chagas disease in the US is largely unknown, because most states are not required to keep track of the number of confirmed human cases. Estimates of human cases of Chagas disease in the US range from 300,000 to over 1 million, with particular concern for those living in the US/Mexico border regions. In addition to documented cases in immigrants who were infected in central and South America, there are increasing reports of human cases of Chagas disease acquired in the United States.

Treatment for Chagas disease focuses on taking medications that kill the parasite and on managing symptoms.