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What does a kissing bug bite look like?
The bite looks like any other bug bite except there’s usually a cluster of bites together in one spot. People who are sensitive to the bug’s saliva, may experience a reaction to the bite. This is usually only mild itching, redness, and swelling, but occasionally, a kissing bug bite causes a severe allergic reaction.
What is the disease of kissing bugs?
If feces containing this parasite get inside your body, you become infected. The infection is called Chagas disease . Kissing bugs are nocturnal. This means they come out at night to feed. Usually the person is sleeping, and the bite doesn’t hurt.
Why do people call kissing bugs?
Their insect name is triatomines, but people call them “kissing bugs” for a rather unpleasant reason — they tend to bite people on the face. Kissing bugs carry a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi. They pick up this parasite by feeding on an infected person or animal. The parasite then lives in the kissing bug’s intestines and feces.
How long does it take for a bug to bite?
Kissing bugs bite by injecting saliva that has an anesthetic property into the skin. It typically takes between 20 and 30 minutes for a bug to feed. The bug may bite anywhere from 2 to 15 times. Typically, the bug will bite a person on their face.
How to prevent kissing bugs?
These materials are often used to build homes in the endemic areas of Mexico, South America, and Latin America. If you visit these areas, try to avoid sleeping in structures made of these materials.
What happens if you are allergic to a kissing bug?
In rare cases, a person who’s allergic to the kissing bug’s saliva can have a severe allergic reaction after being bitten. This reaction is known as anaphylaxis.
How old do you have to be to take nifutimox?
Nifurtimox (Lampit). The FDA has approved this medication for children who are under 18 years old and weigh over 5.5 pounds.
What is the cause of Chagas disease?
Major news outlets such as TIME, CNN, and Forbes recently featured stories about this trending topic. Kissing bugs can carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which can cause Chagas disease. It’s important to know that not all kissing bugs are infected with the parasite, and the likelihood of contracting Chagas disease is low.
How do kissing bugs get diseases?
The disease is transmitted through the kissing bug’s feces. While feeding, kissing bugs can defecate on their host. During this time, their fecal materials can get into the bite wound or into a mucous membrane of the host, which allows the parasite to enter the body.
Why do kissing bugs bite?
The Kissing bug received its name because it typically bites the face of humans around the lips and eyes. They are similar to bed bugs; they are primarily nocturnal, and feed on the blood of mammals, including dogs and people. Feedings typically occur while hosts are asleep, and a meal can last 20-30 minutes.
How long should you keep a kissing bug on top of a container?
To help understand the problem and how many carry the disease, the CDC is asking for help. They suggest you place a container on top of the kissing bug for 24 hours, and then seal the bug inside the container.
What color are kissing bugs?
Kissing bugsare generally light brown to black, but some have red, yellow, or tan markings on their abdomen. Kissing bugs have six legs, antennae, are about ½ ”-1” long, and often resemble a more oval and elongated cockroach. Photo: Gabriel L. Hamer. Three species of kissing bugs that can be found in Texas.
How long does Chagas go undetected?
Chagas disease can go undetected in an infected host for up to two decades. Signs of Chagas in a human include: fever, fatigue, body aches, loss of appetite, vomiting, and swelling on the face or eyelid, but there may be no signs at all. Similarly, signs of an infected dog are fever and sluggishness.
Can kissing bugs cause Chagas disease?
Kissing bugs can carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which can cause Chagas disease. It’s important to know that not all kissing bugs are infected with the parasite, and the likelihood of contracting Chagas disease is low.
How long do kissing bugs live?
Kissing bugs feed on blood and are active mostly at night (nocturnal). Adult kissing bugs are about 1/2 to 1 inch long. Kissing bugs hatch from small eggs and go through five nymph stages before they become adults. Some kinds of kissing bugs can live up to two years.
Why are kissing bugs considered a vector?
Kissing bugs are a 'vector' because they can carry a parasite that can make people and animal sick. The parasite is Trypanosoma cruzi, and it causes Chagas disease. The number of infected kissing bugs varies from location to location.
What animals carry the T. cruzi parasite?
Kissing bugs get infected from feeding on infected wild animals, dogs, and people. In the US, wild animals that can carry the T. cruzi parasite are woodrats, raccoons, coyotes, opossums, and other mammals.
What is the parasite that causes Chagas disease?
A parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease. Chagas disease can occur in people, dogs, and other mammals. The Trypanosoma cruzi parasite is sometimes called T. cruzi. Kissing bugs can get the T. cruzi parasite from feeding on the blood of an animal or person infected with the parasite.
How many stages does a kissing bug have?
Kissing bugs hatch from small oval-shaped eggs. They have 5 nymphal stages before becoming adults. Males have rounded bottoms, and females have pointed ovipositors (for egg laying) on their bottoms.
How to keep kissing bugs away from my house?
Turn off outside lights at night if safe. Kissing bugs might fly towards lights and then crawl into a house. Keeping the lights off can keep the kissing bugs from coming near.
How many people have Chagas disease?
No one knows exactly how many people in the United States have Chagas disease. Scientists think there are at least 300,000 cases of Chagas disease in people in the United States, and there may be more than 1 million cases. Most states are not required to keep track of the number of people with Chagas disease. Doctors are starting to count the number of people with Chagas disease in Texas, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, and Los Angeles County.
What is the name of the parasite that lives inside the kissing bug?
Left and right: The triatomine bug, or “kissing bug.” Center: The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi lives inside the kissing bug and can be transmitted to people, dogs, and other animals. —CDC.gov
Where does Chagas disease occur?
Occurrence of chagas disease is not limited to Texas , nor does it only affect outside dogs or people who live in rural areas. The triatomine bug that carries the parasite has been reported in 26 states—as far north as Illinois and Pennsylvania—and in both rural and urban settings.
Where was T. cruzi found?
cruzi was collected from triatomine bug specimens in Texas, California, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana.
What do tribatomine bugs eat?
Triatomine bugs are primarily nocturnal and feed on the blood of mammals (including humans), birds, and reptiles. Precautions to prevent house infestation include:
What is Chagas' acute stage?
Chagas has an acute stage and a chronic stage. Affected animals will develop generalized infection with extensive myocardial and central nervous system lesions. The acute stage also features anorexia, generalized enlarged lymph nodes, diarrhea, myocarditis, and sudden death.
Can chagas cause death in dogs?
In most cases, chagas is not thought of as the cause of a dog’s symptoms or death unless a blood test rules out the disease or an autopsy is performed.
Is there a cure for Chagas?
Currently there is no vaccine for chagas. There are a few drugs that may be helpful in the acute stage, but both have serious side effects. Once chagas enters the chronic stage, there is no known treatment. Both humans and domesticated animals are at risk, and the presence of the disease in an area may go undetected because deaths due to chagas may simply be recorded as “due to myocarditis.” Without autopsy the parasite-damaged heart tissue would remain unknown.
What is a kissing bug?
Kissing bugs are a type of reduviid bug known to suck blood from their victim's face.
How to tell if you have Chagas disease?
If you notice bites or kissing bugs, contact a professional immediately to discuss how to get rid of the infestation through a proper course of pest control.
What is the cause of Chagas disease?
Kissing bugs also carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that causes Chagas disease, a potentially fatal illness that has afflicted millions around the world, especially in Mexico, Central America and South America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 300,000 people in the United States are infected with the parasite. Symptoms of Chagas disease include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, a rash where the parasite entered the body and swelling around the eyelids.
How long does it take for a kissing bug to feed?
Feeding typically requires 20-30 minutes, during which time they inject an anesthetizing agent in their saliva, similar to that of bed bugs, so the host is not aware that they are being bitten by a kissing bug.
How to prevent kissing bugs?
Homeowners should seal cracks and crevices with a silicone-based caulk, replace weather stripping and install door sweeps. It is also important to remove debris piles around the yard and store firewood at least 20 feet from the home.
Where are kissing bugs found?
Adults ½”-1” (14-24 mm) long. Antennae. Yes. Region. Various species have been found in the southern Unites States, Mexico, Central America and South America. Kissing bugs are a type of reduviid bug known to suck blood from their victim's face.
Can kissing bugs cause allergic reactions?
People with certain skin sensitivities to the bug's saliva may exhibit signs of allergic reactions, such as itching, swelling, redness, etc., but the kissing bug bites typically do not result in a local reaction. Kissing bugs also carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that causes Chagas disease, a potentially fatal illness ...
Why are kissing bugs called kissing bugs?
Kissing bugs feed on blood from people and other animals. Kissing bugs are mostly active during the night. They are called kissing bugs because people used to think that they mostly bite around the mouth or eyes — like a kiss! Kissing bugs do not just bite on the face; they can bite anywhere on the body that they can access.
How many different kinds of kissing bugs are there?
The legs of kissing bugs are all thin and long, and there are no thicker areas on the legs like some other bugs have. Kissing bugs have straight mouthparts that are usually tucked under their body. There are 11 different kinds of kissing bugs in United States.
What do kissing bugs eat?
Kissing bugs feed on blood of many kinds of animals. Some animals can be infected with the Chagas parasite. The Chagas parasite has been found in woodrats, raccoons, coyotes, pet dogs, and many other animals. Wild animals infected with the parasite can pass the parasite to kissing bugs when kissing bugs feed.
What is the name of the eastern cone-nose bug?
Triatoma sanguisuga is also called the 'eastern cone-nose bug', and it has dark red stripes. Triatoma gerstaeckeri is common in Texas, and it has yellow-orange stripes. Three species of kissing bugs that can be found in Texas. Left to right: Triatoma sanguisuga, Triatoma gerstaeckeri, Triatoma protracta.
Why are some reduviids called assassin bugs?
Some reduviids are called 'assassin bugs' because they eat other insects. Kissing bugs are different than assassin bugs. Some reduviids suck the juice out of plants. Many reduviids have strong, thick mouthparts that they use to bite the insects they are eating or to poke through the strong wall of a plant stem.
How to catch a T cruzi bug?
The T. cruzi parasite may be in the feces of kissing bugs, and their bodies may have the parasite on them. Use a glove or small plastic bag to catch the bug so you do not touch the bug directly. Keep the bug in a closed plastic bag, a vial, or other small container.
How to keep kissing bugs away from my house?
Turn off outside lights at night if safe. Kissing bugs might fly towards lights and then crawl into a house. Keeping the lights off can keep the kissing bugs from coming near.
How many babies are born with Chagas disease?
Congenital Chagas Disease. An estimated 40,000 U.S. women of childbearing age are infected with T. cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease, with as many as 315 infected infants born every year. Most babies born with congenital Chagas disease have mild or no signs of illness.
What is the name of the bug that causes Chagas disease?
Triatomine (“kissing”) bugs are a type of reduviid bug that can carry the parasite that causes Chagas disease. A pregnant woman can pass Chagas disease to her unborn baby, resulting in congenital Chagas disease.
What is Chagas disease?
Chagas disease, first described in 1909 by Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas, is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), which is transmitted to animals and people by the triatomine (“kissing”) bug. Chagas disease is also known as American trypanosomiasis and is found primarily in the Americas ...
How to prevent Chagas disease?
Improved housing, spraying insecticide inside housing to eliminate triatomine bugs, and preventing transmission from blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and mother-to-baby are important public health tools to help prevent Chagas disease. Early detection and treatment also help reduce the burden of disease.
What are the health problems associated with Chagas disease?
An estimated 20–30% of infected people will develop severe, sometimes life-threatening medical problems, including heart rhythm abnormalities that can cause sudden death, a dilated heart that doesn’t pump blood well, and other complications. Impact of Chagas Disease.
Where are the Triatomine bugs?
cruzi are found in Mexico, Central America, South America (as far south as southern Argentina), and the southern United States.
How many people in Mexico have Chagas disease?
It is estimated that as many as 8 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America have Chagas disease, most of whom do not know they have it. If untreated, infection is lifelong and can be life threatening.
How does a bug get into your body?
The bug generally poops on or near a person while it is feeding on her blood, usually when the person is sleeping. Transmission of the parasite happens when poop is accidentally rubbed into the bite wound or into a mucous membrane (for example, the eye or mouth), and the parasite enters the body.
Why do triatomine bugs live in houses?
Because most indoor structures in the United States are built with plastered walls and sealed entryways to prevent insect invasion, triatomine bug s rarely infest indoor areas of houses. Discovery of the earlier stages of the bug (wingless, smaller nymphs) inside can be a sign of a triatomine infestation.
What are some examples of non-triatomine reduviid bugs?
Two examples of non-triatomine reduviid bugs that do not feed on human blood, but prey upon other insects are the wheel bug and the western corsair. Some plant-feeding bugs, such as the leaf-footed bug also resemble the triatomine.
What are triatomine bugs?
Triatomine bugs are a type of reduviid bug that can carry Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. Larger Image.
What bugs resemble triatomine?
Some plant-feeding bugs, such as the leaf-footed bug also resemble the triatomine. If you are unsure if the bug you’ve found is a triatomine, you may wish to consult with an expert, such as an entomologist, for clarification. More on: Bugs Commonly Confused with Triatomine Bugs.
Can triatomine bugs cause Chagas disease?
It is important to note that not all triatomine bugs are infected with the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The likelihood of getting T cruzi infection from a triatomine bug in the United States is low, even if the bug is infected.
