HOUSTON — A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is raising awareness that the potentially deadly Chagas disease is becoming more common in the United States.
According to the CDC, about 8 million people worldwide, including at least 280,000 people in the U.S. have Chagas disease.
Chagas disease typically spreads through contact with the feces of kissing bugs.
Kissing bug in dogs Scientists at Texas A&M University have found Chagas disease in dogs in many counties in Texas.
Types of ‘kissing bugs’ in Texas There are seven species of kissing bugs in Texas.
HOUSTON — The potentially fatal Chagas disease is on the rise in the US, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Triatomines, also referred to as the “kissing bug” because they usually bite victims close to the lips and eyes while they are asleep, are bloodsucking insects that spread the disease.
The CDC estimates that at least 280,000 people in the United States are among the approximately 8 million people worldwide. S. Possess Chagas disease.
Symptoms can be confused with many other common conditions, so some people are unaware they have it.
Chagas can be fatal and cause major health issues if left untreated.
Chagas disease has been documented in eight states, including Texas.
Texas AandM and UTHealth both took part in a CDC study on the disease, which is already endemic in 21 Central and South American nations.
One of the researchers, Sarah Hamer, a veterinary epidemiologist at Texas A&M University, believes that the time has come to identify Chagas disease as endemic in the US.
“The notion that this disease is exclusively found in Latin America is inaccurate, and it fails to account for the local transmission that takes place in the United States among humans and animals,” stated Hamer.
There have been documented human cases of Chagas in Texas, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
In most states, physicians are not obligated to monitor or report it.
How is the disease known as Chagas or kissing bug spread?
Chagas disease usually spreads by coming into contact with kissing bug excrement. The CDC claims that the insects will bite and draw blood from humans or animals that are infected. The parasite then infects them. The parasite is found in the poop that the bugs produce after biting.
An infection may result if the excrement enters the body through a skin cut, or close to the mouth or eyes.
According to the CDC, people might unknowingly rub their mouth, eyes, or cuts with the excrement.
Texas A&M estimates that approximately 50% of kissing bugs are infected with Chagas.
Where can one find kissing bugs?
There have been reports of the bloodsucking insects in 32 U.S. states, and they are found naturally in the southern half of the nation. S. . states as well as the D.O.C. according to the report from the CDC.
States such as Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D. are among them. C.
The insects may reside indoors, in the crevices and gaps of poor quality housing, or outdoors in a range of locations, such as “.
below porches.
between rocky formations. .
underneath cement.
in brush piles, wood, rock, or under bark.
In animal burrows or rodent nests.
in kennels or dog houses outside.
in houses or coops for chickens.
signs of kissing bug or Chagas disease.
The acute phase and the chronic phase are the two stages of Chagas disease.
The CDC states that the acute phase occurs in the initial weeks or months following infection. Years or perhaps a lifetime may pass during the chronic phase.
The following are examples of symptoms that are typically mild during the acute phase.
fever.
Exhausted.
Aches in the body.
headache.
Oh, Rash.
diminished appetite.
diarrhea.
throwing up.
A sign of Romaña is swelling of the eyelids.
The CDC estimates that 20–30% of infected individuals will experience “serious health problems,” although the majority of people do not exhibit any symptoms during the chronic phase. Among them are…
conditions relating to the heart, including an enlarged heart, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, or unexpected illness.
Eating or using the restroom may become difficult due to digestive issues, such as an enlarged colon or esophagus.
As soon as you notice any symptoms, get in touch with your doctor.
Can you treat kissing bug disease?
Antiparasitics can be used to treat Chagas disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other forms of treatment will need to be used to manage chronic symptoms.
Chagas disease has no known treatment.
In dogs, kissing bugs occur.
Researchers from Texas A&M University have discovered that dogs in numerous Texas counties have Chagas disease.
Dogs with the infection may exhibit heart problems, stomach problems, and occasionally even sudden death as symptoms of their illness.
While age, daily stress, and activity level may influence how ill an infected dog becomes, many infected dogs do not exhibit symptoms.
New treatments for canine Chagas disease are being developed by researchers.
There is no vaccine that can prevent Chagas disease in dogs or humans.
Through the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, a test for dogs is offered.
Texas’s “kissing bug” species.
Texas is home to seven different species of kissing bugs.
