What disease do you get from kissing bugs?
People who have Chagas disease can be found anywhere in the world. However, transmission of the disease by kissing bugs (vectorborne transmission), only occurs in the Americas. Most people with Chagas disease became infected in rural areas of Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Do kissing bugs transmit disease?
Chagas disease is an infection transmitted by crawling insects called kissing bugs. They live mostly in South America and Central America. Kissing bugs crawl on your face before and after they bite you, and you can be infected with the parasite if you scratch those bites.
What are the symptoms of Chagas disease in humans?
What are the symptoms of Chagas disease?
- Mild, flu-like symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, body aches, and headaches.
- Rash.
- Loss of appetite.
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
- Swelling or a sore near the eye or on the side of the face where the bite or infection occurred (visible in fewer than half of infected people)
- Enlarged glands.
Can humans get Chagas disease?
Also called American trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease can infect anyone. Left untreated, Chagas disease later can cause serious heart and digestive problems. During the acute phase of infection, treatment of Chagas disease focuses on killing the parasite.
How do you know if you’ve been bitten by a kissing bug?
Bite Marks Kissing bugs are so named because they like to bite around the mouth or eyes. You’ll often see 2-15 bite marks in one area and maybe redness and swelling. It might be hard to tell them apart from other bug bites, minor skin irritations, or infections.
How is Chagas disease transmitted from kissing bugs?
When people become infected by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, they can get Chagas disease. The feces of insects called triatomine, or “kissing” bugs, transmits the parasite to humans. These bugs feed on the blood of animals and humans at night, and then they defecate.
What is the mortality rate of Chagas disease?
Chagas disease was identified in 122,291 deaths (0.54%), 94.788 (77.5%) as an underlying cause and 27,503 (22.5%) as an associated cause. Average annual age-adjusted mortality rate was 3.22 deaths/100,000 inhabitants (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.14-3.30).
What is the chronic stage of Chagas disease?
The advanced chronic stage is when 30-40% of people with Chagas experience symptoms. This stage develops years after infection and most often results in damage to the heart, while others may experience abnormal enlargement of the colon or esophagus.