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The "kissing virus," a disease-carrying insect that is known to bite people on the mouth and face, has made its way to the east coast.
In July of last year, a family in Kent County, Delaware, contacted the Public Health Division and the State Department of Agriculture to ask for help to identify a virus who was biting their child's face.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, parents were concerned about the possible transmission of the disease by the insect.
In a statement issued on Friday, April 19, the CDC confirmed that the bug was identified as Triatoma sanguisuga, also known as "kiss virus", because of the insect's predilection for facial bites, and has launched a new alert regarding dangerous bug.
The CDC said that the house where the child had been bitten was an "older single family home located near a heavily wooded area. A window air conditioner was located in the bedroom where the bite had occurred (and) the family reported no recent trips outside the area. "
Triatoma sanguisuga is known to carry Chagas disease, which can be fatal. This is the first confirmed identification of Triatoma sanguisuga in Delaware. Chagas disease can lead to serious heart and gastrointestinal complications. The CDC estimates that about 300,000 people with Chagas live in the country and that most have been infected in some areas of Latin America where the disease is present.
"Precautions to prevent domestic triatomine infestation include placing outdoor lights away from homes such as houses, kennels and poultry houses and turning off lights that are not used," noted the CDC. "Homeowners must also remove the piles of trash, wood and rocks from the house and clean the bird and animal nests of the house. Cracks and gaps around windows, air conditioners, walls, roofs, doors and crawl spaces in the home must be inspected and sealed.
"Chimneys should be properly closed when not in use and screens should be used on all doors and windows. Ideally, pets should sleep indoors, especially at night, and outdoor sitting areas should be clean. "
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