Hidden Threat - The Kissing Bug

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A deadly kiss
Chagas disease, an exotic bug-borne infection that can kill, is spreading in Texas

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The parasite buries itself in heart muscle and the gut and can hide for two decades or more before causing symptoms, including sudden death.

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Experts warn that more cases of Chagas and other neglected tropical diseases are being reported in the U.S. An estimated 12 million Americans have one or more tropical infections, including an estimated 300,000 with Chagas disease.

In Texas, one in every 6,500 blood donors are infected with Chagas disease, compared with one in every 27,500 donors across the country.

Chances are, if you have it, you don’t know it. That’s because the parasite stays dormant for years and because American doctors are uneducated about the infection.

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