() A new disease has caught the attention of epidemiologists after spreading to more than half the states in the U.S.

Chagas disease was recently discovered in California, and led to between 70,000-100,000 people being infected, the most of any population. Why? The parasite and vector live in the area, resulting in many homegrown cases.

Epidemiologists have called on the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to label the disease an endemic, with hopes of spreading awareness and funding to begin studying it.

What is Chagas disease? How can the disease be transmitted? What are the symptoms of the disease?

What is Chagas disease?

Chagas disease is caused by an infection from the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Trypanosoma cruzi lives in a bloodsucking insect called the kissing bug.

“This is a disease that has been neglected and has been impacting Latin Americans for many decades,” said Norman Beatty, with the University of Florida. “But it’s also here in the United States.”

According to the CDC, Chagas disease is considered endemic to 21 countries in the Americas, but not the United States. However, the disease has increased in triatomine insects, domestic animals and wildlife in the country.

Over 7 million people worldwide, mostly in Latin America, are estimated to have been infected by the disease.

How can Chagas disease be transmitted?

The disease can be transmitted as a result of interactions between people and animals. The parasite, can enter the body when an individual is bitten by the kissing bug and comes into contact with the bug’s faeces or urine.

“Kissing bugs can feed on people, dogs, and wild animals,” according to Texas A&M University’s Kissing Bugs program.

“They feed many times over their lives. When kissing bugs feed, they can take several minutes to take a full meal. Kissing bugs do NOT attach like ticks. Kissing bug bites do not usually hurt the person while they are feeding.”

In addition, the condition can be transferred during pregnancy or birth through blood/blood products, organ transplantation or laboratory accidents.

What are the symptoms of Chagas disease?

The symptoms of Chagas disease can be felt in the short and long-term.

Individuals infected might not even know about the effects of the disease because it can lie dormant for years.

The kissing bugs’ saliva can result in swollen limbs and eyes along with anaphylaxis. More chronic ramifications include heart attacks, strokes or other serious cardiac issues.

“The disease is definitely underdiagnosed,” said Salvador Hernandez, a cardiologist in California.

“If we screened for it and caught it early, most patients could be cured. The problem is, we don’t, and people end up dying or requiring terrifically expensive care,” including organ transplants and surgery.”