Kissing Bug Disease Reaches Missouri & Arkansas

A deadly, so-called kissing bug disease, is spreading across the U-S.

The CDC is warning that Chagas disease is on rise and may become an endemic.

The parasite is found in the triatomine insect – and is called the “kissing bug” because it bites people on the face.

The insect has been found in 32 states, with 8 states reporting human infection.

Symptoms include eyelid swelling at first, and can eventually include heart and digestive issues.

For now, there are no vaccines or drugs that can prevent Chagas disease.

Missouri is one of the states infected, the others include Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and California, where about 45-thousand people in Los Angeles County may be infected with Chagas disease.

See the full report from our news partners at CBS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chagas-disease-deadly-kissing-bug-spread-us/