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STATEN ISLAND, NY – The recently confirmed case of a stink bug kissing a girl's face in Delaware has heightened fears about Chagas, the disease spread by the blood-sucking insect that has made its way into the north in the last few months.
The kissing virus found in Delaware, Triatoma sanguisuga, feeds on the blood of animals and humans, and derives its nickname from the fact that it often lands on the faces.
And although the type of kissing insect found in Delaware is biting, experts about the species say it's possible, but are not likely to spread the disease, which can cause serious heart and gastrointestinal complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control, which confirmed the Delaware incident.
"It is not spread by the bite itself," said Dr. Jim Fredericks, chief entomologist of the National Pest Management Association, who explained that it parasitizes the insect's digestive system and get out of it. "When a person scrapes the pathogen into the sting, that's how the infection spreads," he said. "This particular species does not defecate while it feeds, making it a mediocre host."
And although possible, the risk of getting infected with Chagas after an injection in the United States is low, even though the virus is infected, said the CDC in its report, published on April 19.
Several species of bedbugs hug meet mainly in Latin America, Central America and South America, and spread the disease by biting people while they sleep. They easily enter houses with loose construction and thatched roofs.
"In most parts of North America," this type of housing does not exist, "said Fredericks, while encouraging residents of Staten Island to rate their homes in search of loose door frames and mosquito nets. torn, where insects could enter.
And unlike bed bugs, kissing bedbugs does not limit their diet to human blood, so we can find them food outside, Fredericks said.
According to the CDC, the house where the Delaware girl was bitten was an older house located in a heavily wooded area. A window air conditioner was located in the bedroom where the bite had occurred. The family contacted the Delaware Public Health Division and the Delaware Department of Agriculture to get help in identifying the virus.
The insects were found as far north as Pennsylvania, Fredericks added, adding that this should not alarm.
"I do not think an army of bedbugs are hugging to New York," he said, pointing out that some preventive measures would prevent insects from entering homes, thus reducing the risk of bites, Staten Island.
"I do not think there's anything to alarm or panic about," he said. "Some people could hitchhike parcels or make their way in a van, will they show up, who knows?"
You will find recommendations on securing your home on the NPMA website. The organization and the CDC recommend that residents:
- Seal cracks and holes, both inside and out.
- Replace the weatherstripping and repair the loose mortar around the basement and windows.
- Make sure there is no space under your door. If you can see the light from the outside under a door, insects can pass through the opening of your home.
- In addition, outdoors, remove nesting areas and food sources for harmful wildlife that could serve as a home for kissing insects. Stacks of debris should be regularly removed from your yard. Firewood must be stored at least 20 feet from your home.
The CDC estimates there are 300,000 cases of Chagas in the United States, most of them in other countries.
According to the World Health Organization, more than six million people would be infected worldwide.
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