Blood-sucking ‘kissing bugs’ heading to Florida
Blood-sucking insects known as “kissing bugs” are migrating to the southern United States, including Florida.
The triatomine bugs, which can cause health issues, such as heart failure or sudden death, have been moving into the state and causing infections, according to a new report by the American Heart Association, which found that 300,000 people in the United States have been infected.
The insects get their nickname “kissing bugs” because their bites are usually around the mouth and eyes.
When they extract blood, the insects pass a parasite known as Trypanosoma cruzi, which can cause Chagas disease.
The illness can lead to chronic heart disease in about one third of those people infected, according to the AHA.
Most common symptoms include swollen eyelids, headaches, fatigue, rash and body aches, but about 60 to 70 percent of people infected don’t develop symptoms.
The bites tend to take place at night when people are asleep, according to the heart association.
There aren’t approved synthetic chemical sprays to be used against the “kissing bugs,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To minimize risk, the CDC recommends that people should seal gaps around windows, walls, doors and roofs; remove wood, brush and rock piles near a residence; and have their pets sleep indoors.