Chagas disease, also known as the "kissing bug" disease, is spreading across the United States, and some researchers believe it should now be classified as endemic.

What we know:

Human cases of the deadly disease have been reported in eight states, including Texas, California, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas.

However, the blood-sucking insects that cause Chagas disease have been found in 32 states over the past decade.

In a report published last month for the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, researchers argued that Chagas disease should be considered endemic in the U.S.

What does endemic mean?

A disease is endemic if it regularly occurs within a certain area or community.

It's different from an epidemic, which describes a sudden increas

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