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Thread: CDC: Deadly 'kissing bug' reported in GA, AL

  1. #1

    CDC: Deadly 'kissing bug' reported in GA, AL



    ATLANTA (WTVM) – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the pest known as the “kissing bug” has made its way to the United States, and has been reported in both Georgia and Alabama.

    Officially named the triatomine bug, it is a type of reduviid bug that carries a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi that causes Chagas disease, the CDC says. The bug also comes in 11 different species. The bug is known as "kissing" bugs, assassin bugs, cone-nosed bugs, and blood suckers.

    It is unclear to the CDC, however, how many reports there have been or where, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

    Triatomine can live indoors, in cracks and holes of substandard housing, or in a variety of outdoor settings including:

    Beneath porches
    Between rocky structures
    Under cement
    In rock, wood, brush piles, or beneath bark
    In rodent nests or animal burrows
    In outdoor dog houses or kennels
    In chicken coops or houses

    They are typically found in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America, with the bug being found is parts of southern Argentina. The 'kissing bug' has also been a huge problem in Texas recently.

    At least 26 states, including the entire southeast and Hawaii, have had reported occurrences of the kissing bug.

    The bug breeds mostly at night and feeds on the bloods of mammals, reptiles and birds. If infected with the parasite, a person can contract Chargas disease, which left untreated, could result in sudden death. The parasite is transferred through the bug's feces and into the host's body, causing infection.

    "The bug generally defecates on or near a person while it is feeding on his or her blood, generally when the person is sleeping," the CDC says. "Transmission occurs when fecal material gets rubbed into the bite wound or into a mucous membrane (for example, the eye or mouth), and the parasite enters the body."

    The CDC says the chances of getting Chargas disease in the U.S. are low. In fact, according to the Clinical Infectious Diseases of Oxford Journals, only seven "autochthonous vector-borne cases of infection have been reported in the U.S. since 1955. Those cases have been in Texas, with four, and one case in each California, Tennessee and Louisiana.

    People can also be allergic to the bite of a kissing bug. For more information on Chargas disease, click here. Most of the world's cases of the disease have been diagnosed in Latin America.

    The CDC says that most instances of the “kissing bug” are found in substantard housing, but finding wingless or larvae in the homes is a sign of infestation.

    The pests can be found:

    Near pet resting areas
    In areas of rodent infestation
    In and around beds and bedrooms, especially under or near mattresses or night stands
    To keep these pests from inside of your home, you must:

    Sealing cracks and gaps around windows, walls, roofs, and doors
    Removing wood, brush, and rock piles near your house
    Using screens on doors and windows and repairing any holes or tears
    If possible, making sure yard lights are not close to your house (lights can attract the bugs)
    Sealing holes and cracks leading to the attic, crawl spaces below the house, and to the outside
    Having pets sleep indoors, especially at night
    Keeping your house and any outdoor pet resting areas clean, in addition to periodically checking both areas for the presence of bugs

    Please note that traditional pesticides, such as sprays and roach motels, do not work for the kissing bug, the CDC warns.

    The CDC suggests that if you see one, capture it in a jar and try drowning it in rubbing alcohol or freezing it.

    The CDC suggests that you either take it to your local extension service, health department, or a university laboratory for species identification. In the event that none of these resources is available in your area, you may contact CDC’s Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria (parasites@cdc.gov) for species identification or T. cruzi testing.

    For more information on the bug, visit the CDC website by clicking here.
    http://www.wbrc.com/story/30591372/c...nttype=generic
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  3. #2
    Kissing kills.
    Quote Originally Posted by dannno View Post
    It's a balance between appeasing his supporters, appeasing the deep state and reaching his own goals.
    ~Resident Badgiraffe




  4. #3

    More like: Deadly "defecating blood-sucking bug"

    "Kissing bug"? I guess that sounds better than admitting it's another gift brought here by illegal aliens from further south.

    An estimated 300,000 infected people are living in the United States, nearly all of whom were originally infected in endemic areas.
    http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/resourc...npi_chagas.pdf
    Endemic areas = Mexico, Central America, or South America

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Valli6 View Post
    "Kissing bug"? I guess that sounds better than admitting it's another gift brought here by illegal aliens from further south.

    Endemic areas = Mexico, Central America, or South America
    Celebrate Diversity.

  6. #5

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Celebrate Diversity.
    I read an article the other day that said that after extensive research, they don't think the bug came from south of the border; but rather has always been all over texas and is only becoming a problem now because of building in rural areas where nobody was at before to notice they were there. lol

    found related:
    http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/1...s-suggest.html
    According to NBC 5’s report, which is the result of a four-month collaboration with The Dallas Morning News, a surge in the number of Texans being infected with Chagas is not the result of more bugs in the state. Rather, it is due to more suburbs being developed on once-rural land where the bugs have always lived
    yeah, I'm buying that story.



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