The triatomine bug, aka, the deadly kissing bug, shows up in Hispanic communities at an alarming rate. However, it is often ignored in the US.
It contains a parasite called Chagas, known to bite on people’s faces while they are sleeping. Once the parasite is in your system, it affects the heart and digestive system.
300,000 people in the US, mostly Latin Americans immigrants in Texas, California, and Florida, are affected by the bug a year.
There isn’t any program that is dealing with the issue. It’s not even high on the priority list of medical professionals.
The disease can spread to others through organ donations, blood transfusions, and mothers to babies.
Many Latin American immigrants don’t have health-care. They also have the highest rate of underinsured people of any other ethnic group in the US. Therefore, the disease can have devastating results for Latin Americans who are suffering.
