articleSome health officials now believe Chagas disease, spread through contact with "kissing bugs," has reached epidemic levels, requiring a new classification in the U.S. Health officials say Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite responsible for the spread, transmits the disease through contact with the bug's excretion. They usually bite an exposed area of skin such as the face, and defecate or urinate close to the bite. Health officials say the disease's systoms are curable if treated early; however, without proper diagnosis and treatment, cardiac and neurological problems can develop. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , potential blood donors are also tested for the parasite that causes the disease.