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Kissing bugs are blood-feeding insects that live in the southern and western United States, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America.
What states is the kissing bug found in?
Most of the world’s kissing bugs are in Central and South America and Mexico. They’ve also been found in the United States in the lower 28 states, with higher concentrations in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. Kissing bugs have been spotted a far north as Delaware, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
What attracts the kissing bug?
Kissing Bugs are mainly nocturnal and outdoor lights attracts them. They are constantly looking for a meal, so pets, animals, birds, and their resting places become important harborage areas.
Do all kissing bugs carry 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.
Do kissing bugs live in Canada?
They usually hide during the day and are active at night when they feed. They can go for weeks without feeding. Kissing bugs can carry a parasite that causes Chagas disease, but this is not common in Canada or the United States.
How do you know if you have been bitten by a kissing bug?
Kissing bugs can cause patches of bites, often around the mouth. The bites are usually painless, but they may swell and look like hives. Itching from the bites may last a week.
How long can you live with Chagas?
If untreated, infection is lifelong. Acute Chagas disease occurs immediately after infection, and can last up to a few weeks or months. During the acute phase, parasites may be found in the circulating blood. This phase of infection is usually mild or asymptomatic.
How painful is an assassin bug bite?
Assassin bug bites can be quite painful immediately with some pain and swelling persisting for a day or two. As with any insect sting or bite, the victim should seek medical attention immediately if there is any sign of anaphylactic reaction, such as generalized swelling, itching, hives or difficulty breathing.”.
Are stink bugs and kissing bugs the same?
Kissing bugs look similar to stink bugs, but stink bugs are typically smaller and lack the red, orange, or yellow stripes of color that you can see on kissing bugs.
What eats the kissing bug?
For over a hundred years, the scientific literature has accepted that these insects feed exclusively on blood. However, this research shows that they also consume sugar and nutrients from fruits.
What is Chagas disease do to you?
Also called American trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease can infect anyone. Left untreated, Chagas disease later can cause serious heart and digestive problems. During the acute phase of infection, treatment of Chagas disease focuses on killing the parasite.
Is Chagas curable?
Today Chagas disease is treatable. Therapy is highly effective if given during the acute phase of the disease and less effective when administered during the chronic phase. This is why early diagnosis is so important. In infants aged under 1 year, treatment achieves a complete cure.
What time of year do kissing bugs come out?
Kissing bugs are nocturnal, meaning that they hide during the day and are most active at night. Kissing bugs will normally hide during the day and come out at night, biting and feeding on a person’s blood while they sleep.
Do we have assassin bugs in Canada?
Although commonly found in the Southern States and warmer regions, the assassin bug is no stranger to Canada due to recent climate changes. There are approximately 150 species of assassin bugs in North America.
Where do kissing bugs hide in a home?
Kissing bugs can hide in cracks and holes in beds, floors, walls, and furniture. They are most likely to be found: Near places where a pet, such as a dog or cat, spends time. In areas where mice or other rodents live.
How do you keep kissing bugs away?
Prevention Seal cracks and gaps in your home to keep bugs out. Keep chicken coops and other animal cages away from your home. Move piles of leaves, firewood, and rocks out of your yard. Turn off outdoor lights near the house at night so they won’t attract bugs. Clean your dog or cat indoor beds regularly.
What happens if you squish a kissing bug?
It’s best to NOT squish a bug, but sometimes it happens! After the bug is squished, do not touch the bug with your bare hands. The T. cruzi parasite may be in the feces of kissing bugs, and their bodies may have the parasite on them.
What bug looks like a kissing bug?
Conenose bugs (Triatoma species) are insects that feed on the blood of various wild animals, particularly rodents. Mammals are their most common hosts but they will occasionally feed on birds and reptiles. Other names for these insects are “kissing bugs” or “bloodsucking conenose bugs”.
Why are kissing bugs in my house?
How did I get kissing bugs? Bright porch and doorway lighting often lures kissing bugs inside homes. These insects feed on pets, so outdoor cats or dogs can also bring bugs inside.
How does Chagas cause death?
In later years the infection can lead to sudden death due to cardiac arrhythmias or progressive heart failure caused by the destruction of the heart muscle and its nervous system.
What does a kissing bugs bite look like?
The bite isn’t distinctive, either. It looks like any other bug bite, except there’s usually a cluster of bites together in one spot. People who are sensitive to the kissing bug’s saliva may experience a reaction to the bite. This is usually only mild itching, redness, and swelling.
What states have Chagas disease?
State Year reporting began Primary objectives for Chagas disease surveillance Tennessee 2010 Identify source of infection; monitor acute and chronic disease burden Texas 2013 Identify source of infection; monitor acute and chronic disease burden Massachusetts 2008 Monitor chronic disease phase burden.
