Howard G. Smith MD, AM on Instagram: "Kissing Bugs Could Kiss Off Your Life The kissing bug is the popular name for the triatomine bug, a blood sucking insect that tends to attach to the faces of sleeping victims. This insect carries the parasite Trypanososma cruzi which causes Chagas’ disease. Normally found predominately in Central and South American as well as Mexico, now this bug and its potentially deadly baggage is spreading across the United States. As of this date, cases of Chagas’ disease have occurred in 8 states: Texas, California, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas. The bad news is that these kissing bugs have been seen in 32 states. If the bug bites you on the face and you rub the bite, you are likely to rub some of the bug debris containing the Trypanosoma parasite into your skin. As the parasite sets up shop, you will develop Chagas disease, acute phase, with fever, eyelid swelling, fatigue, body aches, rashes, swollen glands, appetite loss, diarrhea, and vomiting. This acute phase and demands immediate diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics. Should you fail to recognize the signs and symptoms and the parasite persists untreated, , the Chageas disease moves into the chronic phase. It invades your heart and esophageal tissues. Years later, you develop heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, difficulty swallowing, and severe constipation. At this point, the parasite cannot be eliminated and only the symptoms can be treated. As usual, the best treatment is prevention. Since there is no vaccine for Chagas’ disease, you must take precautions to avoid the kissing bugs. That includes use of insect repellent, wearing clothes that cover, staying in bug-free rooms with screening and/or air conditioning, and avoiding of possibly contaminated raw fruits and vegetables. https://www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/news/kissing-bug-disease-spreading-in-us-cdc-report-says/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chagas-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20356212 #kissingbugs #chagas #parasite #trypanosomiasis #triatomine"

0 likes, 0 comments - drhowardsmithreports on September 18, 2025: "Kissing Bugs Could Kiss Off Your Life The kissing bug is the popular name for the triatomine bug, a blood sucking insect that tends to attach to the faces of sleeping victims. This insect carries the parasite Trypanososma cruzi which causes Chagas’ disease. Normally found predominately in Central and South American as well as Mexico, now this bug and its potentially deadly baggage is spreading across the United States. As of this date, cases of Chagas’ disease have occurred in 8 states: Texas, California, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas. The bad news is that these kissing bugs have been seen in 32 states. If the bug bites you on the face and you rub the bite, you are likely to rub some of the bug debris containing the Trypanosoma parasite into your skin. As the parasite sets up shop, you will develop Chagas disease, acute phase, with fever, eyelid swelling, fatigue, body aches, rashes, swollen glands, appetite loss, diarrhea, and vomiting. This acute phase and demands immediate diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics. Should you fail to recognize the signs and symptoms and the parasite persists untreated, , the Chageas disease moves into the chronic phase. It invades your heart and esophageal tissues. Years later, you develop heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, difficulty swallowing, and severe constipation. At this point, the parasite cannot be eliminated and only the symptoms can be treated. As usual, the best treatment is prevention. Since there is no vaccine for Chagas’ disease, you must take precautions to avoid the kissing bugs. That includes use of insect repellent, wearing clothes that cover, staying in bug-free rooms with screening and/or air conditioning, and avoiding of possibly contaminated raw fruits and vegetables. https://www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/news/kissing-bug-disease-spreading-in-us-cdc-report-says/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chagas-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20356212 #kissingbugs #chagas #parasite #trypanosomiasis #triatomine".

Chagas disease, which can be deadly, is now considered endemic in the U.S.

‘Kissing bug’ disease is here to stay in the US, experts say. Here’s why it’s spreading

Chagas disease, a potentially deadly condition caused by a parasite carried by insects called kissing bugs, should now be considered endemic in the United States, experts say – and without recognition that it’s a constant presence in some parts of the country, more people will become ill and die unnecessarily.

"Kissing-Bug"-Krankheit verbreitet sich in den USA

Die bislang vor allem in Lateinamerika verbreitete Chagas-Krankheit tritt nun auch vermehrt in den USA auf. Der "Kissing Bug" überträgt einen Parasiten, der Herz und Nerven lebensgefährlich schädigen kann.

Deadly tropical disease in "kissing bugs" affect up to 100,000 Californians

A deadly tropical disease transmitted by blood-sucking "kissing bugs" has established itself in California and the Southern United States. Chagas disease, once considered a distant threat, now affects an estimated…

Neuer Impfstoffkandidat gegen Chagas-Krankheit zeigt vielversprechende Ergebnisse

Präklinische Studien zu einem neuen, nadelfreien Impfstoffkandidaten belegen dessen Potenzial sowohl zur Vorbeugung als auch zur...

Cómo se propaga la enfermedad de Chagas

Las personas contraen la enfermedad de Chagas a través del contacto con las heces de insectos triat