The disease called Chagas; or the "kissing bug" disease, can cause a number of problems if left untreated. It is called the "kissing bug" disease because the insects attack their victims at night and suck blood from their faces.
Health problems can result in cardiac and intestinal problems. Death can also result from the disease.
When testing donated blood in Texas, it was found that as many as 1 in every 6,500 people had been exposed to Chagas. This percentage is about 50 times as much as the CDC had expected. Researchers from Baylor were able to connect Chagas disease with a high rate of heart disease.
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Source: http://theweek.com/article/index/271527/speedreads-kissing-bug-disease-making-its-way-through-texas
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Photo Credit: Unchanged; from https://www.flickr.com/photos/gauchocat/519475022
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Keywords: Chagas disease, kissing bug, Texas, heart disease, killer disease