Parasitic “kissing bugs,” small dark insects with orange and red stripes, once thought to be confined to rural South America, are known to spread Chagas, or “kissing bug disease,” and their consistent presence in 29 U.S. states has alarmed researchers.

Chagas disease is passed to people through contact with the feces of infected bugs or by accidentally rubbing the feces into open wounds, the eyes or mouth — hence “kissing” in the disease name — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms of the illness

And though it begins with mild symptoms, the disease can cause heart disease and stroke if it goes undetected, according to the CDC.

Researchers from Texas A&M University stated that there may be more than 1 million cases in the United States.

And, since 2013,

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