The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said Chagas disease, also called kissing bug disease, is now endemic in the United States — meaning cases are high enough to be considered a regularly occurring disease.

Since 2013, Texas A&M University has received reports of about 10,000 kissing bugs across 31 states. Researchers tested a subset of those bugs and found 50% of them tested positive for the Chagas parasite.

The condition occurs when the blood-sucking kissing bug, also known as the triatomine bug, transfers the Chagas parasite to a host through its bite or through its droppings that carry a certain parasite.

The disease can be treated with antiparasitic drugs and diagnosed with a blood test, the CDC said .

Symptoms can include swollen eyelids, digestive problems, body

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