ADVERTISEMENT A potentially life-threatening parasitic disease long associated with Latin America is also present in the United States, researchers warn. Chagas disease, spread by blood-sucking insects known as "kissing bugs", can cause devastating heart problems in humans and dogs . Often called a “silent” infection, Chagas can go unnoticed for years because most people experience few or no symptoms initially. Yet the World Health Organization estimates it kills around 10,000 people annually