Chagas disease — a potentially serious illness spread by an insect called the “kissing bug” — may be establishing itself in the US, according to a new US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

A hidden danger has quietly made its way across the United States: the deadly “kissing bug” disease, also known as Chagas disease. Once thought to be a problem confined to parts of Latin America, this parasitic illness is now being transmitted locally in 32 US states,

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, transmitted primarily through the bite of triatomine insects — commonly known as “kissing bugs.” These bugs are found in 32 states, including Florida, where they’ve been documented ...

California is one of the eight states where people have acquired Chagas disease locally from insects that carry a parasite in their feces. Here's what you should know about it.