Most of the world’s kissing bugs are in Central and South America and Mexico. They’ve also been found in the United States in the lower 28 states , with higher concentrations in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. Kissing bugs have been spotted a far north as Delaware, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
What do you do if you find a kissing bug in your house?
If you find a kissing bug, the CDC recommends you do not touch or squash it . To help understand the problem and how many carry the disease, the CDC is asking for help. They suggest you place a container on top of the kissing bug for 24 hours, and then seal the bug inside the container.
Are kissing bugs in the United States?
Kissing bugs are found throughout the Americas. In the United States, kissing bugs are found in 29 states . Eleven different kinds of kissing bugs are in the United States. Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are the states with the most different species and most findings of kissing bugs.
Do kissing bugs live in North America?
Kissing bugs are found in warm southern states of the U.S. and in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Kissing bugs can hide in cracks and holes in beds, floors, walls, and furniture. They are most likely to be found: Near places where a pet, such as a dog or cat, spends time.
Can kissing bugs infest your house?
Most people in the U.S. don’t need to worry about kissing bugs. They don’t usually infest houses here , though an occasional bug might get inside. If you’ve noticed them in your home or live in an area with Chagas disease, you can take steps to keep them away: Seal cracks and gaps in your home to keep bugs out.
What happens if you touch a kissing bug?
Do not touch a kissing bug with your bare hands! The T. cruzi parasite may be in the feces of kissing bugs , and their bodies may have the parasite on them.
How do kissing bugs get in your house?
How Did I Get Kissing Bugs? Bright porch and doorway lighting often lures kissing bugs inside homes. These insects feed on pets, so outdoor cats or dogs can also bring bugs inside.
How do you know if you have been bitten by a kissing bug?
Kissing bugs can cause patches of bites, often around the mouth. The bites are usually painless, but they may swell and look like hives . Itching from the bites may last a week.
Can you get Chagas disease in the US?
CDC estimates that more than 300,000 persons with Trypanosoma cruzi infection live in the United States. Most people with Chagas disease in the United States were infected in the parts of Latin America where Chagas disease is found.
What bugs carry Chagas disease?
Triatomine bugs are a type of reduviid bug that can carry Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.
Is there a kissing bug in the Philippines?
Reportedly, the insect is mainly found inside the habitations and during nighttime . Through those connections was possible to collect a few specimen in Quezon City, all identified as Triatoma rubrofasciata.
What eats the kissing bug?
For over a hundred years, the scientific literature has accepted that these insects feed exclusively on blood . However, this research shows that they also consume sugar and nutrients from fruits.
Where is Chagas in the US?
Vector-borne transmission of Chagas disease occurs in the Americas, including the southern half of North America , where the specific vector insects (triatomines), T. cruzi, and infected reservoir mammalian hosts are found.
How long can you live with Chagas?
If untreated, infection is lifelong. Acute Chagas disease occurs immediately after infection, and can last up to a few weeks or months . During the acute phase, parasites may be found in the circulating blood. This phase of infection is usually mild or asymptomatic.
What other bug looks like a kissing bug?
Recently, the commonest look-alike I’ve been getting reports of is the masked hunter bug (Reduvius personatus) , which can also be encountered indoors. If you aren’t familiar with masked hunter bugs, there’s a good reason why these insects can sometimes mistaken for kissing bugs—they’re technically kissing cousins.
Are stink bugs the same as kissing bugs?
Kissing bugs look similar to stink bugs , but stink bugs are typically smaller and lack the red, orange, or yellow stripes of color that you can see on kissing bugs.
