The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that kissing bugs carrying a potentially deadly parasite have been found in more than 32 U.S. states. These insects, which prefer warm climates, are most common in the southern half of the country. Of the 11 species of kissing bugs identified in the United States, nine are known to carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. The CDC now considers Chagas disease to be endemic in the United States, which means it is consistently present.

Chagas disease can spread from an infected mother to her baby, through contaminated food or drink, or via contact with kissing bugs. The parasite is not spread by the bug's bite itself but by its feces, which can enter the bite wound or other breaks in the skin. Wildlife can

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