According to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a possibly lethal insect also named as the "kissing bug" can infect individuals while they are sleeping.
A recent health report stated that the said pest is carrying a parasitic infection called the Chagas disease. At least five of the states in the U.S. were officially confirmed to be infected with the illness. Recently, it was reported that Kansas and Missouri were among the five states that were infested.
Chagas disease is an ailment that is mostly common in the rural areas of Central and South America. The disease which is now spreading in the southern part of the United States can cause a gradual heart impairment which can cause sudden death to the infected patient.
The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the reason behind Chagas disease. According to studies, the parasite can be disseminated exclusively thru the bites of triatomine insect also named as the kissing bugs. These animals are tiny, nocturnal insects which primarily consumes the blood of mammals, birds and reptiles for food.
In the rural areas of Central and South America, kissing bugs are regularly found in the walls of houses made from straw, muds and adobe. These bugs usually bite around the eyes and mouth of the victims as they feed during night time.
In a statement, Dr. William Schaffner elaborated the risk of being infected by the disease. According to him, the parasite can stay in the body for a long period of time, even for decades.
"Once the bug gets into you, it goes throughout the body and sets up quiet housekeeping ... in particular in the heart. It smolders there for many years, anywhere from 20 to 30 years," said by the infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University.
Even if the parasite is deadly, it can still be treated by proper medication. Supportive therapies are compulsory for those patients who already have damaged heart tissue because of the infection.
