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Chagas disease was once considered a Latin American problem, but the infection is spread mainly by an insect that lives in 27 states, but especially in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.
David Sikes

Courtesy photo of cutaneous reactions to the bites of an insect kissing the leg of an Olney resident, Jennifer Bankston.(Photo: courtesy photo)

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Jennifer Bankston was sitting cross-legged on the deck of her parents' house in Mason, Texas, when she was bitten by "kissing insects".

To her surprise, she remained finding a long row of bedbugs between the cracks in the deck boards. She did not realize that they had repeatedly bitten her both legs until the itching started.

"The experience has been horrible and I really hope others can be made aware of the seriousness of these" bugs, "Banskton said about the June 16th incident.

Bedbugs – or triatomines – are blood-sucking insects known to carry the parasite that causes Chagas disease, an inflammatory infectious disease that can be fatal, especially for babies, immunocompromised people and puppies. And seven species of the insect live across Texas.

There are many types of bedbugs, but they all potentially carry the deadly Chagas parasite. (Photo: Photo of Hamer Lab, Texas A & M University)

Banskton, who lives in Olney, about 100 miles northwest of Fort Worth, began to itch almost immediately after being bitten. Over the next few days, her legs and feet began to swell and itch uncontrollably. The bites left red mark up and down her legs.

She counted about 11 stings on the back of her left leg and 10 on her right.

"I had severe itching in every place I was," she said. "The doctor gave me a shot of steroid that brought down the swelling, thank goodness, from now on, the only thing that itches is my feet."

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In addition to taking steroids, she was given antibiotics and a corticosteroid cream to apply on the bites.

Blowing her legs in calamine lotion and wrapping them in gauze, she said, was "a life-saver."

"It was a relief from the itch, it was great, I recommend it," she says laughing.

Courtesy photo of cutaneous reactions to the bites of an insect kissing the leg of an Olney resident, Jennifer Bankston. (Photo: courtesy photo)

The kissing insect is most widespread in Mexico, Central America and South America. But it has been found in the southern United States, mainly in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.

This bug varies in diameter from the size of a penny to a quarter, with dark backs that are sometimes orange or fringed with red. They look like a stink bug, but with a distinctive pointed snout.

Its painless bite helps to go unnoticed, but once the blood sucking insect bites, it defecates on or near the wound, sometimes infecting the victim with the Chagas parasite.

According to Centers for the control and prevention of diseases, Chagas disease has an acute and chronic phase. If it is not treated, the infection lasts a lifetime.

The acute phase occurs immediately after infection and can last up to a few months, and parasites can circulate in the blood. The infection may be mild or show no symptoms.

The symptoms that may occur are fever or swelling around the bite. Rarely an acute infection causes severe inflammation of the heart muscle or the brain and mucosa around the brain, reports the CDC.

An estimated 20 to 30 percent of those infected will develop debilitating and sometimes life-threatening medical conditions in their lifetime, reports the CDC.

Courtesy photo of cutaneous reactions to the bites of an insect kissing the leg of an Olney resident, Jennifer Bankston. (Photo: courtesy photo)

On Tuesday, a blood smear test was negative for the parasite and Chagas, Bankston said, but the doctors sent another blood job to New York for it to be re-checked.

The insect bites slowly disappear but left discolored marks on his legs and feet. The itch however, is always present.

"It's been so scary," Bankston said. "If I had this disease (Chagas disease), the only way for the doctor to take me medication is to go through the CDC, but that could not be obtained at the pharmacy."

"People have to get rid of these insects," Bankston said. "They can be called kissing insects, but they are dangerous."

Contribute: David Sikes of the Caller Times

Where they hide

The CDC says that insects that kiss can live in cracks and holes both inside and out, including:

• Under the porches.

• Between the rock structures.

• Under cement.

• In the rock, the wood, the brush piles or under the bark.

• In rodent nests or animal burrows.

• In outdoor dog houses or kennels.

• In chicken coops or houses.

Keep them out

To keep these bugs away from you, the CDC suggests:

• Seal cracks and gaps around windows, walls, roofs and doors.

• Remove wood, brush and stones near your house.

• Use screens on doors and windows and repair holes or tears.

• If possible, make sure garden lights are not near your house (lights can attract insects).

• Seal holes and cracks leading to the attic, crawl spaces under the house and out.

• Pets sleep indoors, especially at night.

• Keep your home and pet rest areas clean and periodically check for bedbugs.

– USA TODAY & # 39; HUI