As the number of cases of the Ebola virus continues to be on the rise, focus has been lost on another disease that might be making its way to spreading to different areas.

Three news studies reportedly suggest that residents of the southern United States may reportedly be at risk for the Chagas disease, which can lead to severe heart disease and death, according to the website Philly.com.

Although the death toll of those infected by the Ebola virus continues to increase, it is important to note that 16 to 18 million people are afflicted with Chagas disease in Central and South America, according to the Digital Journal. Out of that number, 50,000 will reportedly die every year, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The Chagas disease was reportedly once thought to be limited to Mexico, Central America and South America, but new research shows that that's no longer the case.

"We are finding new evidence that locally acquired human transmission is occurring in Texas," stated Melissa Nolan Garcia, a research associate at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the lead author of two of the three studies.

Chagas disease is reportedly transmitted by "kissing bugs," which feed on the faces of humans at night. The feces of the insects, which are called triatomine bugs, reportedly contain the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which can enter the body through breaks in the skin.

The infection can also reportedly be transmitted through blood.

"It's a silent killer," stated Garcia.

She added, "People don't feel sick, so they don't seek care, but it causes heart disease in about 30 percent of those who get infected."

A treatment is currently being searched for those suffering from Chagas disease.

"Several groups have made some exciting progress in drug development, but none have reached the point where they can be used to treat patients in regular clinical practice," stated Dr. Susan Montgomery of the CDC's parasitic diseases branch.