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GREEN BAY, WIS. (WBAY) – A small bug that can create big problems is approaching Wisconsin.
Cropped photo: Wikimedia / Dr. Erwin Huebner
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that reports on the virus embrace cover the southern half of the United States and now there are reports in Illinois.
Doctors call this the kissing virus because it is known to crawl around the mouth and eyes and bite you while you sleep.
The insect can transmit a parasite carrying diseases that can infect your bloodstream.
"They scrub the skin where the insect bit them, they will accidentally rub the poop where the body bit them into the wound, and that's how you catch Chagas' disease" said Tom Moore, an infectious disease physician. "And from there, it expands the skin in the blood, and then over a period of years, it can destroy the nerves that feed different parts of your body – then the heart of your esophagus, your colon."
According to the American Heart Association, at least 300,000 people in the United States are affected by Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis. Many people who are infected never develop symptoms, but the CDC says that 20 to 30% develop serious problems that can be life-threatening.
Pesticides can be used to ward off insects. It is also advisable to seal the windows and keep the garbage, stacks of wood and loose rocks of your house.
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