Deadly parasitic illness spread through ‘kissing bug’

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A bug that you’ve probably seen around could be carrying a dangerous disease.

It’s nicknamed the “kissing bug”.

WTOC sat down with a doctor at Memorial Health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say many of the bug’s species can be found in the south. And more recently, the bugs, with Chagas disease have been found more often in our area.

If you’ve ever seen this bug, it could come with danger.

“It’ll bite you on the face, bite you on the arms, it’ll suck your blood much like a mosquito will and that’s how it’s got that name kissing bug,” said Dr. Timothy Connelly.

While it’s a sweet name, it carries a deadly illness called Chagas disease.

“Years ago we didn’t see many of those bugs in our region and now we’re starting to see these bugs more and more in our area, especially in the warmer months, especially in dusk and dawn,” said Dr. Timothy Connelly.

While symptoms of Chagas disease don’t show up clearly in most people, he says swollen eyelids would be a clear sign.

“Unilateral swelling of your eyelid for instance, that’s a romaine sign. That’s something that you would want to go see your doctor about, especially if you were bitten by a bug,” said Dr. Timothy Connelly.

Chagas disease doesn’t come from the bite itself, but from contact with the bug’s feces.

It’s something Dr. Connelly says you should be aware of.

“Know what a kissing bus looks like, recognize it and know that it’s not a god bug to smash with your hand. Get a shoe and make sure you’re very careful cleaning up the mess because you can get that parasite from touching the remains of that bug,” said Connelly

He says kissing bugs, normally in North Florida, are now being spotted more in communities across the United States, including Georgia and South Carolina.

While he hasn’t seen any patients with Chagas from kissing bugs in our area, the bugs are here and people should be careful.

Connelly says if Chagas goes untreated, it could turn into chronic Chagas disease with more severe symptoms.

To be safe always see a healthcare professional if you think a kissing bug has bitten you.