The first U.S. case of the deadly Chagas disease being passed from mother to baby has been reported, as a two-year-old baby boy was confirmed to have the disease many are touting to be the "new AIDS of America."

The boy was in fact born in Virginia at just 29 weeks gestation in August 2010 - doctors had found that the boy had signs of jaundice as well as excess fluid around his heart, abdomen and lungs. However, they initially believed the cause was simply a result of a bacterial infection called sepsis.

But two weeks after the birth the mother, from Bolivia, told doctors that she had been diagnosed with Chagas disease during a prior pregnancy. Doctors immediately tested the baby for the parasite that causes the disease - Trypanosoma cruzi. He tested positive for the parasite. The baby was then put on a 60 day treatment of benznidazole, a drug for Chagas disease, and was reportedly cured.

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is most commonly transmitted to people by bites from insects known as "kissing bugs." The disease is much less commonly known to be transmitted congenitally - from mother to child during pregnancy.

The first U.S. case to be confirmed as transmitted congenitally highlights the need for increased awareness among health care providers in the United States. Although the disease is more common in Latin America, cases in the United States have been increasing, and migration has been a big factor, the World Health Organization has said.

It is believed that about 1 to 5 percent of pregnancies where the mother is a carrier of Chagas disease will result in the disease being transmitted to the child.

Chagas disease is estimated to affect about 300,000 people across the United States in 2012, however, it is thought that most cases involve people who have immigrated to the United States.