The "Kissing" case in Delaware raises concerns for the summer

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When the girl was bitten, her family contacted the Delaware Public Health Division and the Delaware Department of Agriculture to help identify the creature. They worried about the possible transmission of diseases by the insect, according to a CDC report released Thursday.

"The girl who was bitten had no ill effects," the report said. Although the presence of the virus was confirmed in Delaware at the time, there is no current evidence of Trypanosoma cruzi in this state.

However, the case raises new concerns about the number of insect bites that are hugging the country this summer – and what that means for public health.

Although the risk of transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi by kissing bugs is minimal, most kissing bugs in the United States are potential vectors of disease and parasite transmission could increase due to climate change, according to an article in the magazine. Emerging Infectious Diseases in 2012.
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Chagas is endemic in Latin America, where a different species of the virus lives and can be found in rural households.

"They may have a thatched roof or poorly insulated walls, and insects have settled and fed on animals and people at home," said Sarah Hamer, now an associate professor of agriculture. Epidemiology at the School of Medicine and Biomedical Medicine at Texas A & M University.

Yet insects also exist in the United States.

Hamer said that the kissing virus and Chagas have been our neighbors for a long time: "The first reports date back to the 1800s." The first parasites have been reported since the 1940s, and we are only diagnosing more diseases. "

The CDC estimates that there are 300,000 people living with Chagas disease in the United States, but most cases are contracted in other countries.

According to the CDC, only a few cases of Chagas disease resulting from contact with insects have been documented and insects have kissed in 28 states, mainly in the southern half of the nation. The bugs in the United States are more likely to be found on the outside.

To prevent infestations, the CDC recommends that you:

  • Seal cracks and gaps around windows, walls, roofs and doors
  • Remove wood, brush and heaps of stones near your house
  • Use mosquito nets on doors and windows and repair holes and tears
  • Seal holes and cracks in the attic, crawl under the house and out
  • Have pets sleeping indoors, especially at night
  • Keep your house and outdoor sitting areas clean, in addition to periodically checking for the presence of insects in both areas

If you think you have found a kissing virus, the CDC recommends that you do not crush it. Instead, place it in a container and fill it with rubbing alcohol or gel in the water, and bring it to your local health department.

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