Chagas disease - Kissing Bug Disease US: Health Officials Warn of Kissing Bug Infections newsoxy/health - Michael Stevens - 9Nov2014: The kissing bug disease in US may spread as health officials warn of the risk for a parasitic infection that can lead to serious problems and even sudden death. The disease causes about 12,500 deaths a year. The infection is transmitted by insects that feed on the faces of humans at night. Early studies thought that the disease was limited to Mexico, Central America and South America, according to the Daily Mail. kissing bugs — blood-sucking insects called triatomine bugs — are found across the lower half of the United States, according to the CDC. The insects feed on animals and people at night. The feces of infected bugs contains the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which can enter the body through breaks in the skin. Chagas disease can also be transmitted through blood. Melissa Nolan Garcia, a research associate at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston - The kissing bug disease in US is a silent killer, Garcia said. People don’t feel sick, so they don’t seek care, but it causes heart disease in about 30 percent of those who get infected, notes The Business Insider. A vaccine has not been developed as of 2013. Early infections are treatable with the medication benznidazole or nifurtimox. They nearly always result in a cure if given early however become less effective the longer a person has had the disease.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 04:21:33 +0000
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