Health District: Kissing bug tests positive for Chagas-carrying parasite in Wichita County

The Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District said tests have confirmed a triatomine insect, commonly called a kissing bug, has tested positive for the parasite trypanosoma cruzi. This parasite causes Chagas disease.

Kissing bugs are a blood-feeding insect commonly found in the southern United States.

The insects are not new to the area, but this is the first recorded incident of the presence of Chagas disease in the county.

Left untreated, Chagas disease is a lifelong infection. The disease has two phases – acute and chronic.

The acute phase can be mild or asymptomatic with the primary tissue showing swelling near the bite.

Most people then enter a prolonged form of the disease (without showing symptoms) when few or no parasites can be seen in their blood.

Many people never know they have been infected, but about 20 to 30 percent of infected people develop severe medical problems throughout their life.

Problems can include heart-rhythm abnormalities, a dilated heart that does not pump well, and a dilated esophagus or colon, which can cause problems eating or difficulties passing stool.

Chagas is most dangerous for people with a suppressed immune system.

These insects can be attracted to lights at night, which could cause them to enter homes.

A single insect is not cause for alarm, but they can infest human or animal bedding.

The presence of nymphs or immature kissing bugs in a home could mean there is a breeding population nearby. In this case, a licensed pest control company may need to be contacted.

The health district urges people to avoid these bugs by implementing these practices:

• Avoid opening windows that are not screened or that have torn screens, especially at night.
• Wear long sleeves, pants and gloves when working outdoors in brush piles to avoid accidental bites.
• Do not attempt to handle the bugs barehanded. If you wish to catch a kissing bug to submit it for testing, use gloves or a plastic bag to collect it.
• Sanitize surfaces the insect may have touched, the disease is transmitted through the insect’s feces.

If a person finds a kissing bug near their home and it is not suspected to have bit anyone, it can be sent to Texas A&M University Kissing Bug Citizen Science Program.

If a person finds a kissing bug in their home, or suspects a person was bitten, they should sent the insect to the Texas Department of State Health Services.   

For more information about Chagas, website the Centers for Disease Control website.