Asked by: Nolasco Keating
medical health digestive disorders

Are there Assassin bugs in Pennsylvania?

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But in recent years it's been reported in states as far north as Pennsylvania — yes, Pennsylvania. Formally known as triatomine bugs, kissing bugs feed on humans and animals. They have a particular “predilection” for biting people's faces, according to the CDC. After they bite, they also, er … defecate.


Just so, are kissing bugs found in Pennsylvania?

While Chagas disease is common in Latin America and still relatively rare in the U.S., the CDC said kissing bugs have now been found in about 30 states, including Pennsylvania. The insects have also been found along the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, meaning they may be crossing into the Garden State.

Additionally, what does the new kissing bug look like? According to experts at Texas A&M University, kissing bugs can be recognized by their cone-shaped head, thin antennae, and long, thin legs. In the US, kissing bugs are typically black or very dark brown, with distinct red, orange, or yellow stripes around the edges of their bodies.

Also know, how deadly is a kissing bug?

Chronic Chagas can last a lifetime and many don't have symptoms. However, cardiac and gastrointestinal complications, which can be fatal, can occur in around 20% to 30% of people, the CDC says.

Where are the kissing bugs found?

Description and Location There are 11 species of kissing bugs. They are endemic in Mexico and in Central and South America. In the US, they are found in the southern states. They live primarily outdoors near their hosts—humans, pets, rodents, birds, reptiles, and wild and domesticated animals.

Related Question Answers

Elionor Kaplicki

Professional

Does the kissing bug fly?

Kissing bugs can fly, but they can also crawl and get inside that way. Homeowners can get rid of kissing bugs using liquid residual pesticides, baits or dusts.

Marielle Czec

Professional

What do I do if I find a kissing bug?

How do you get rid of kissing bugs?
  1. Seal gaps around windows and doors. Fill in any holes or cracks in walls or screens that could let kissing bugs into your house.
  2. Let your pets sleep inside, especially at night. Keep pets from sleeping in a bedroom.
  3. Clean up any piles of wood or rocks that are up against your house.

Danylo Kirby

Professional

What states is the kissing bug found in?

Kissing bugs are found throughout the Americas. In the US, kissing bugs are established in 28 states. A total of 11 different species of kissing bugs have been documented in the US, with the highest diversity and density in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Dieynaba Laul

Explainer

What happens if your bit by a kissing bug?

Threats. Kissing bugs occasionally bite humans in their sleep. People with certain skin sensitivities to the bug's saliva may exhibit signs of allergic reactions, such as itching, swelling, redness, etc., but the kissing bug bites typically do not result in a local reaction.

Mabrouka El Farissi

Explainer

Is Chagas disease curable?

Treatment. To kill the parasite, Chagas disease can be treated with benznidazole and also nifurtimox. Both medicines are almost 100% effective in curing the disease if given soon after infection at the onset of the acute phase including the cases of congenital transmission.

Lahat Ferret

Explainer

What are the symptoms of the kissing bug?

What are symptoms and signs of Chagas disease?
  • Swelling and/or redness at the skin infection site (termed chagoma)
  • Skin rash.
  • Swollen lymph nodes.
  • Fever.
  • Headaches and body aches.
  • Fatigue.
  • Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
  • Abdominal discomfort or pain.

Randal Castel

Pundit

How do you test for Chagas disease?

Diagnosis. During the acute phase of infection, parasites may be seen circulating in the blood. The diagnosis of Chagas disease can be made by observation of the parasite in a blood smear by microscopic examination. A thick and thin blood smear are made and stained for visualization of parasites.

Bully Virzi

Pundit

Are assassin bugs harmful to humans?

Yes, Assassin Bugs Do Bite
Importantly, these bugs bite. Assassin bugs like hanging out near their prey— mammals (including humans) with vertebrae—from which they can suck blood.

Hortensi Liebanas

Pundit

How do you protect yourself from kissing bugs?

Prevention
  1. Seal cracks and gaps in your home to keep bugs out.
  2. Keep chicken coops and other animal cages away from your home.
  3. Move piles of leaves, firewood, and rocks out of your yard.
  4. Turn off outdoor lights near the house at night so they won't attract bugs.
  5. Clean your dog or cat indoor beds regularly.

Eligio Llaguno

Pundit

Are kissing bugs dangerous to dogs?

Chagas disease is transmitted through Kissing Bugs' feces, or in the case of pets, by eating the bug itself. Once infected, a person or pet may or may not show any outward symptoms, but the infection can be life-long and can eventually have ill-effects.

Aldric Brooke

Pundit

Are assassin bugs the same as kissing bugs?

The kissing bug belongs to the Reduviidae family of insects. This family is also referred to as assassin bugs. It can carry a parasite that causes kissing bug disease in its fecal matter. We call them kissing bugs because when they bite humans, they usually do so around the face and mouth.

Lonna Poninsky

Teacher

How does the kissing bug locate its human prey?

Kissing bugs rely on multiple sensory systems to locate hosts. Feeding by bugs in human domiciles usually takes place at night, with bugs hiding during the day in cracks and crevices away from the feeding areas. Much less is known about feeding times for sylvatic species.

Edelmiro Crane

Teacher

Is the kissing bug in Indiana?

The “kissing bug” is native to Indiana. Although the bug can transmit Chagas disease, Indiana has never had a case of Chagas, which is typically found in tropical or subtropical climates, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.

Kendrick Proust

Teacher

What should I do if I get bit by an assassin bug?

People who are bitten should wash and apply antiseptic to the site of the bite, and take ibuprofen or another analgesic to reduce the pain, he says. Caladryl or topical corticosteroids may help reduce swelling or itching at the site of the bite.

Carlos Buzunariz

Teacher

Do all assassin bugs carry Chagas?

Some triatomines carry in their feces a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. Experts stress, however, that the risk of Chagas infection remains low. Not every kissing bug carries the parasite. And even if you are bitten by an infected bug, odds are you still won't be infected.

Emanuel Attenkofer

Reviewer

Are stink bugs kissing bugs?

Unlike stink bugs, kissing bugs can bite. Their bite is not known to be very painful because they want to go undetected while they suck blood from the faces of their victims. Because of this behavior, kissing bugs are known to spread Chagas disease.

Aliaksandra Wieschermann

Reviewer

What is the kissing bug disease?

Chagas disease. Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the protist Trypanosoma cruzi. It is spread mostly by insects known as Triatominae, or "kissing bugs". The symptoms change over the course of the infection.

Eray Lenzi

Reviewer

Why do kissing bugs bite your face?

Their saliva contains a compound that numbs the area they bite, so the person is often unaware of the bite at all. These bugs get their name from the fact that they are attracted to the carbon dioxide that humans exhale. This is why they seem to bite people on the face, near the mouth and around the eyes.

Lizabeth De Cardenas

Reviewer

Should I kill stink bugs?

Stink bugs use chemical odors to attract others to winter hiding spots. Remove stink bugs by hand or with a vacuum. Killing or vacuuming stink bugs may release a foul odor. Stink bugs do not bite, sting, or cause structural damage.