kissing bug disease

The blood-sucking conenose assassin bug (Triatoma sanguisuga) is also called a "kissing bug" because of its tendency to bite human faces. It feeds on human blood and is the vector of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. Ray Coleman/Science Source hide caption

A kissing bug is ready for its scanning electron micrograph extreme close-up. This insect bites humans, sucks their blood and infects them with a parasite, transmitted through feces. David Scharf/Science Source hide caption