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It's a small bug with a big reputation.The kissing bug, once primarily found in South and Central America, is now making its way north, bringing with it Chagas disease—a parasitic infection that can be difficult to detect.Dr. Tim Connelly with Memorial Health in Savannah, Georgia, explained the challenges of identifying the disease."It is a hard-to-detect disease," Connelly said. "Many individuals are asymptomatic."When symptoms do appear, they can include unilateral, painless swelling of one eyelid during the first 12 weeks of infection."If people are acutely symptomatic in the first 12 weeks of infection, some people will have unilateral, painless swelling of one eyelid," Connelly said.Other symptoms may resemble the flu."So if somebody has extreme fatigue going on three or four weeks, I'll actually run peripheral smears and do PCR testing for Chagas disease just to ensure they don't have it," Connelly said.If left untreated during the initial acute phase, Chagas disease can lead to serious complications later in life."The biggest concern that we have with Chagas disease is heart failure," Connelly said. "It can cause cardiomyopathy in some individuals."According to the CDC, Chagas disease has been found in animals in Georgia and South Carolina.The good news is that the disease isn’t easy to catch. Infection occurs only if the parasite enters the mouth, eyes, or an open wound."You literally have to smash the guts of the bug and then touch your mouth or eat something that the bug has defecated on that's been out in the environment," Connelly said. "Or have the bug in your house come to your dinner table or something of that sort."To protect yourself and your family, experts recommend taking simple precautions: avoid contact with the bugs, wash your hands often, and call an exterminator if you find one near your home."And just stay away from those bugs," Connelly said. "And if you are going to smash it, get a shoe. Don’t do it with your hand or your foot."