kissing bug

 

The Center for Disease Control is warning everyone of a deadly disease that is making its way through the southern areas of the U.S.

It’s called the kissing bug, and is said to be carrying a parasite that causes Chagas disease, which has made its way from Mexico, Central and South America into the lower half of the United States.

According to the World Health Organization, first visible signs of Chagas disease can be a skin lesion or a purplish swelling of the lids of one eye, fever, headache, enlarged lymph glands, pallor, muscle pain, difficulty in breathing, swelling and abdominal or chest pain.

“During the chronic phase, the parasites can hide in the heart and digestive muscles. Up to 30% of patients suffer from cardiac disorders and up to 10% suffer from digestive, neurological or mixed alterations. In later years, the infection can lead to sudden death or heart failure caused by progressive destruction of the heart muscle and its nervous system.” (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs340/en/)

Reports state it has infected nearly 300,000 people in the southern states, though most of the people were infected while in Central or South America.

The kissing bug is a silent killer and if not treated, the infection can prove fatal. Its stated a person will have flu-like symptoms for a few days and then may not notice anything for 20 to 30 years.  About 70 percent of those bitten will be treated and recover fine.  But for some that bite can be deadly.

The CDC warns if you find a kissing bug, don’t try to touch or destroy the bug, but seal it in a container and take it to your local health department.