UD researchers warn of disease-carrying 'kissing bugs' found in New Castle County

As if mosquitos and ticks aren't enough to worry about this summer, another disease-carrying insect has been found in New Castle County, according to researchers at the University of Delaware.

Triatomine bugs – commonly called kissing bugs due to their proclivity for biting people's faces – can spread Chagas disease, a parasitic infection characterized by flu-like symptoms shortly after infection followed by a years-long phase where the parasite quietly reproduces in its hosts’ tissues, according to UD.

If left untreated, Chagas can lead to serious heart problems or even death. Chagas affects nearly 7 million people worldwide.

Kissing bugs that are infected with a certain parasite transmit the parasite to humans by biting a person and then defecating in the bite wound. Transmission isn't common but is a risk, according to UD professor Jennifer K. Peterson,

“Like any sort of thing, the more times you roll the dice, the more likely you are to get the most unlikely combination,” Peterson said in a statement released by the university.

UD researchers got involved after a New Castle County family found two black-and-orange bugs they couldn't identify in their house last year, one in a bed and one in the kitchen. The family members reported having large, unusual bug bites on their body.

After consulting with the state health department, CDC and a pest control company with no answers, the family finally contacted the UD Cooperative Extension.

Peterson, a professor in UD's Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, was able to identify the insect as a kissing bug. One of the insects found in the home tested positive for Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.

This is not the first time kissing bugs have been found in Delaware, but it is the first time one has been confirmed to have the Chagas-causing parasite. The insects are most common in the southern United States, as well as Asia and Africa.

Thankfully, the family members tested negative for Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies, meaning they probably do not have Chagas disease.

Now, Peterson and UD are trying to raise awareness of kissing bugs and are advocating for more research to be done. She recently published a paper in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, detailing how difficult it was for the New Castle County family to find help identifying the insect and getting tested for the parasite.

The incident illustrates a systemic gap that needs to be addressed, Peterson said.

“The bugs are here,” Peterson said. “They’re making contact with people. This paper was written to illustrate that there is a hole in the system.”

She and her colleagues are doing more research into the kissing bug's prevalence in Delaware and then plan to provide resources for the public.

“It could be something like an app or public awareness campaign that can ensure that people can quickly get the information or help they need if they come into contact with one of these insects,” Peterson said.