Kissing bugs aren't about summer lovin'. Their bite could be lethal

University of Delaware researchers discovered a kissing bug found in New Castle County in July 2023 was infected with a parasite that causes a sometimes lethal disease.

It's a first for the state, according to UD research published last month in the "American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene."

When "kissing" bugs give you a smooch (actually a blood-sucking bite that people sometimes don't even feel), their buss can mean much more than some summer lovin'.

Despite the cute name, the bug that often bites people around their mouths is anything but lovable.

The black-and-orange insect, sometimes known as the Cone Nose bug, can transmit Chagas, a hard-to-detect disease. Most people don't know they're infected although some report mild, flu-like symptoms. Later complications can include serious heart and gastrointestinal problems and even death.

University of Delaware entomologists studied the kissing bug species known as Triatoma sanguisuga for about a year.

They started their research after Jennifer K. Peterson , a UD assistant professor and medical entomologist, confirmed that an insect found on a pillow in July 2023 and then another one discovered in October 2023 in the kitchen of a New Castle County resident were kissing bugs, according to a June 2024 article in the University of Delaware's UDaily .

The house where the two bugs were found was a large single-family home with the master bedroom on the second floor and the kitchen on the first floor. A portion of the home was built in the 1700s. The location of the house was not identified.

When a kissing bug sucks your blood (usually at night), it defecates. In its feces is a parasite, which finds a home in your tissue, muscles and heart and leads to Chagas disease.

The Delaware bug on the homeowner's bed pillow was infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease .

While two residents of the home reported insect bites, several rounds of testing showed they did not contract Chagas disease.

Kissing bugs have crept around Delaware before

Kissing bugs previously have been reported in Delaware. The World Health Organization says the bugs typically live in the wall or roof cracks of poorly constructed homes in rural or suburban areas, becoming active at night, biting exposed areas of skin, then defecating close to the bite.

Texas A&M University, which has studied kissing bugs since 2012, received a report of a suspected kissing bug in Delaware's Kent County in July 2017. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a local institution initially identified it as a milkweed bug and destroyed the insect before it could be tested further.

The Texas university says almost 1,500 people have sent them more than 7,000 kissing bugs for scientific research. About 55% of the kissing bugs are infected with the parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, that causes Chagas disease.

In July 2018, a family from Kent County called the Delaware Division of Public Health and Delaware Department of Agriculture because an insect had bitten their child's face while she was watching TV in her bedroom.

According to the CDC, the family lived in an older single-family home near a heavily wooded area. There was an air conditioner in the window of the girl's bedroom, and the family hadn't traveled anywhere outside the local area.

The bitten girl did not get sick with the sometimes-lethal Chagas disease.

What does a kissing bug look like?

Adult kissing bugs range from about 0.75 to 1.25 inches in length. Most species have a very characteristic band around the edge of the body that is striped with orange or red markings.

One species (Triatoma protracta) may or may not have a single-colored band around the outer edge of the body.

The legs of kissing bugs are long and thin. Unlike some other species, the legs are uniformly thin along the length of the leg, and there are no "bulging" thicker areas.

Kissing bugs have distinctive mouthparts that appear as a large black extension to the head. These mouthparts give rise to the nickname "Cone Nose bug."

Don't ignore it if kissing bugs try to bug you

The Triatoma sanguisuga bug is found in all six states of the Mid-Atlantic (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia) and Washington, D.C., but little is known of its regional ecology or epidemiology, the UD researchers reported in their published report.

The World Health Organization says an estimated 6 million to 7 million people worldwide are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Chagas disease is found mainly in endemic areas of 21 continental Latin American countries.

The American Society of Microbiology says at least 230,000 people are living with Chagas disease in the United States , many of whom are unaware they are infected.

Kissing bugs also can feed on dogs and wild animals, according to Texas A&M. Dogs infected with the Chagas parasite can get heart disease.

How to fend off an unwanted 'kiss' from the kissing bug?

According to the CDC, you can take precautions against the kissing bug. They recommend locating outdoor lights away from dwellings such as homes, dog kennels and chicken coops and turning off lights that are not in use.

Homeowners should also remove trash, wood, and rock piles from around the home and clear out any bird and animal nests.

Cracks and gaps around windows, air conditioners, walls, roofs, doors, and crawl spaces into the house should be inspected and sealed.

Chimney flues should be tightly closed when not in use, and screens should be used on all doors and windows. Ideally, pets should sleep indoors, especially at night, and outdoor pet resting areas should be kept clean.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Kissing bugs aren't about summer lovin'. Their bite could be lethal