Deadly ‘Kissing Bug’ Disease Now on The Rise in Texas

Oh good. Another thing for Texans to worry about. It may be hard to believe, but a bug commonly referred to as the "kissing bug" is spreading so much disease in the U.S. and Texas, but it is.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the triatomine insect, aka the kissing bug, has been found across 32 states. Also known as "vinchuca in Spanish, kissing bugs, so named because they bite people on the face, feast on human blood."

Deadly ‘Kissing Bug’ Chagas Disease on The Rise.

It's now to the point that the CDC is recommending that Chagas disease, the disease that is transmitted by these bugs, be classified as an epidemic.

“Most people living with Chagas disease are unaware of their diagnosis, often until it’s too late to have effective treatment,” according to Judith Currier, MD, chief of infectious diseases at UCLA Health.

Reports are now saying that Human infections of Chagas disease have been identified in eight states, including Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and California.

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Additionally, according to the CDC’s website, cases in animals have been found in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and Maryland.

What to Know Now

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the triatomine insect — called the “kissing bug” — has been found in 32 states
• Eight states have reported human infection, including California, where about 45,000 people in Los Angeles County may be infected with Chagas disease
• The CDC has recommended that Chagas disease be classified as "endemic” in the U.S.

Symptoms of Chagas disease include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting.