A kissing bug might seem harmless but there’s nothing sweet about its potentially deadly kiss.
Despite its misleading name, these bugs – also called vampire or assassin bugs – are known for getting frisky with the faces of sleeping humans at nighttime.
The pesky pests, that leave behind a bite filled with its feces, was once endemic to Latin America but since the species migrated, it’s silently infecting or killing victims across the world.
When Emiliana Rodríguez was a young girl, she recalls watching friends play a nighttime game of soccer, where one of the players suddenly dropped dead on the field.
It wasn’t until later she learned the friend had Chagas, caused by the bite of triatomine bugs, commonly called kissing bugs, vampire bugs or the assassin.
Chagas, a “silent and silenced disease,” is transmitted by nocturnal bugs that infect up to 8 million people each year, and Rodríguez’ friend is one of 12,000 people killed each year.
Trying to escape the “monster” that she heard only comes out at night, Rodríguez moved from Bolivia to Barcelona 27 years ago.
But she realized there was no escape.
“The fear usually came at night. Sometimes I didn’t sleep,” said Rodríguez, who’s in her early 40s. “I was afraid of sleeping and not waking up.”
It was eight years ago when, pregnant with her first child, Rodríguez took some tests that revealed she was a carrier of Chagas. “I was paralyzed with shock and remembered all those stories my relatives told me about people suddenly dying,” she said, also recalling the death of her friend. “I thought, ‘What’s going to happen to my baby?’”
Rodríguez underwent treatment to prevent the parasite from reaching her unborn child through vertical transmission. After her baby girl was born, she tested negative.
Chagas disease
Chagas is named after Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, a Brazilian physician and researcher who identified the human case in 1909. Over the past several decades, Chagas disease is known to be prevalent in Latin America, North America, Europe, Japan and Australia.
Kissing bugs mostly live in the walls of low-income housing in rural or suburban areas and are most active at nighttime when people are sleeping. The bug passes the T. cruzi infection by biting an animal or human, then defecates on the skin of its victim, who may accidentally scratch the spot and break the skin, or spread the feces into the eyes or mouth.
The disease has two phases:
- Acute Phase: This occurs shortly after infection and may present with mild symptoms or none at all. When symptoms do occur, they can include fever, fatigue, swelling at the site of the bug bite, and rash.
- Chronic Phase: If the disease is not treated during the acute phase, it can progress to the chronic phase, which can develop years later. Chronic Chagas disease can cause severe heart and digestive system problems, including cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, and gastrointestinal issues like esophageal dilation or colon enlargement.
‘Silent disease’
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Mexico, Central America, and South America, approximately 8 million people – or 6 to 7 million worldwide as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) – have Chagas disease, the majority unaware of their infection.
Though these bugs have been identified in the U.S. – close to 300,000 people are infected – it is not considered an endemic.
The Guardian reports “It’s a silent disease that stays hidden for so long in your body… because of the asymptomatic nature of the initial part of the infection.”
The bug carries a parasite that can ultimately destroy a person’s digestive system and heart and when left untreated, the lifelong infection can be a killer.
Some people never develop symptoms but CDC reports that decades later, 20 to 30% have cardiac complications that can lead to death, or gastrointestinal complications, which can cause severe discomfort.
As Chagas travels to other continents, its visibility is increasing and it’s now known that it can be transmitted through blood transfusions and organ transplants, and from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth.
The WHO established World Chagas Disease Day, which runs every year on April 14, the day in 1909 when Carlos discovered the first human case.
What you can do
Adult kissing bugs are a bit larger than a penny and may have an orange-striped band around the edge of their bodies.
If you find a bug you suspect is a triatomine, the CDC advises against touching or squashing it. Instead, place it in a container and either fill it with rubbing alcohol or freeze it. Next, report your finding to a your local health department or university laboratory for identification.
It’s important to note that not everyone with Chagas disease will develop symptoms, and the disease can remain asymptomatic for years. Early detection and treatment are crucial to managing the disease effectively and preventing progression to the chronic phase. If you suspect you have been exposed to Chagas disease, seeking medical advice for diagnosis and possible treatment is essential.
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