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A deadly insect known as the “kissing bug” could now be in Green County, Oklahoma, backyards.
A state veterinarian and entomologist said many of the South American bugs are infected with a parasite that can make people sick. Kissing bugs, which are also known as triatoma, in northeast Oklahoma have tested positive for it.
Tulsa County Health Department’s epidemiologist, Louisa Krug, said people bitten by the nocturnal, blood-sucking insect are coming down with Chagas disease, though it is rare because the parasite is passed along through the bug’s feces.
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Those infected could have mild, flu-like symptoms. Many of those heal on their own, but some develop chronic symptoms, like breathing issues and chest pains. Those can be deadly.
Chagas is not a reportable disease. The Health Department said they have not seen any cases in Green Country, Oklahoma, but the state entomologist said two in-state dogs have tested positive for it.
The CDC said to not panic, touch or kill the bug, but to drown it in rubbing alcohol.
