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Deadly kissing bugs found in Texas
click2Houston ^ | 3/21/12 | click2Houston

Posted on 03/21/2012 7:00:00 AM PDT by eastforker

Chagas, a disease that can lead to life-threatening heart and digestive disorders, is in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So far, seven cases have been diagnosed in Arizona and California.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin said the bugs that cause the disease, the Triatomid or "kissing bug," were already discovered in 11 southern and central Texas counties.

(Excerpt) Read more at click2houston.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Outdoors; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: 2012; aliens; chagas; contagious; disease; immigration; kissingbugs; texas
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First I have ever heard of this bug.
1 posted on 03/21/2012 7:00:02 AM PDT by eastforker
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To: eastforker

No doubt crossing over the border in the luggage and backs or hair of illegals.


2 posted on 03/21/2012 7:03:27 AM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: eastforker

I had seen some bug program years ago talking about this bug. They presented it as a Central/South American deal. Guess it’s working it’s way on up.


3 posted on 03/21/2012 7:05:19 AM PDT by beaversmom
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To: eastforker

Ah yes, the Southern neighbors coming into the US illegally, bringing in the duisease and plague Americans are ‘too lazy’ to bring into our midst. Democrats have consequences ...


4 posted on 03/21/2012 7:05:27 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Being deceived can be cured.)
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To: eastforker

I heard about this many years ago. No cure. Brought in by illegal aliens.


5 posted on 03/21/2012 7:06:16 AM PDT by television is just wrong
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To: eastforker

Discovery ran a special a long time ago “World’s Deadliest Bugs” or some such thing. This bug is always on the list. Apparently it’s most common feeding time is while we sleep, and it’ll crawl on your face to eat dead skin, etc.


6 posted on 03/21/2012 7:06:26 AM PDT by rarestia (It's time to water the Tree of Liberty.)
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To: eastforker

I have seen them in Los Angeles too.


7 posted on 03/21/2012 7:07:36 AM PDT by television is just wrong
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To: eastforker
University of Texas researchers have found that the kissing bug, which causes Chagas disease, is spreading fast along the Texas-Mexico border. The spread is happening much faster than previously thought, especially in the Rio Grande Valley.

Time to break out the DDT.

8 posted on 03/21/2012 7:08:13 AM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: rarestia

Probably the same program I saw. Don’t they poop on you and then if the poop gets ingested you get the disease.


9 posted on 03/21/2012 7:08:26 AM PDT by beaversmom
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To: eastforker

My housekeeper came to work yesterday with a swelling around her eye. She asked me to see if I saw a bite on her face. Yikes!


10 posted on 03/21/2012 7:08:56 AM PDT by Ditter
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To: eastforker

My housekeeper came to work yesterday with a swelling around her eye. She asked me to see if I saw a bite on her face. Yikes!


11 posted on 03/21/2012 7:09:03 AM PDT by Ditter
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To: eastforker

when the insect bites you, you scratch the fecal matter into your blood stream and contract the disease.


12 posted on 03/21/2012 7:09:37 AM PDT by television is just wrong
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To: eastforker

More illegal alien imports!


13 posted on 03/21/2012 7:13:01 AM PDT by MIchaelTArchangel (Romney ruined Massachusetts. Now he wants to ruin the nation.)
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To: eastforker
The parasite can cause acute heart and digestive problems and eventually leads to death in humans. However, it can take as long as 15 years for these problems to develop, making the disease extremely hard to detect and treat.

So, any or all of us could have been infected on a camping trip, a hotel or even at home - and we'd never know it.

14 posted on 03/21/2012 7:15:19 AM PDT by Hodar ( Who needs laws; when this FEELS so right?)
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To: eastforker; All

A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.

Chagas disease
American trypanosomiasis
Last reviewed: September 15, 2010.

Chagas disease is an illness spread by insects. It is common in South and Central America.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite related to the African trypanosome that causes sleeping sickness. It is spread by reduvid bugs and is one of the major health problems in South America. Due to immigration, the disease also affects people in the United States.

Risk factors for Chagas disease include:

Living in a hut where reduvid bugs live in the walls

Living in Central or South America

Poverty

Receiving a blood transfusion from a person who carries the parasite but does not have active Chagas disease

Symptoms
Chagas disease has two phases: acute and chronic. The acute phase may have no symptoms or very mild symptoms. Symptoms include:

Fever

General ill feeling (malaise)

Swelling of one eye

Swollen red area at site of insect bite

After the acute phase, the disease goes into remission. No other symptoms may appear for many years. When symptoms finally develop, they may include:

Constipation

Digestive problems

Pain in the abdomen

Swallowing difficulties

Signs and tests
Physical examination can confirm the symptoms. Signs may include:

Cardiomyopathy

Enlarged liver and spleen

Enlarged lymph nodes

Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)

Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)

Tests include:

Blood culture

Chest x-ray

Echocardiogram

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA)

Peripheral blood smear

Treatment
The acute phase and reactivated Chagas disease should be treated. Infants born with the infection should also be treated.

Treating the chronic phase is recommended for both children and adults. Adult patients should talk to their doctor about whether to treat chronic Chagas disease.

Two drugs are used to treat this infection: benznidazole and nifurtimox.

Both drugs often have side effects. The side effects may be worse in older people.

Side effects may include:

Headaches and dizziness

Loss of appetite and weight loss

Neuropathy

Problems sleeping

Skin rashes

Expectations (prognosis)
About 30% of infected people who are not treated will develop chronic or symptomatic Chagas disease. It may take more than 20 years from the time of the original infection to develop heart or digestive problems.

Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias, ventricular tachycardia) may cause sudden death. Once heart failure develops, death usually occurs within several years.

Complications
Cardiomyopathy

Enlargement of the colon (megacolon)

Enlargement of the esophagus (megaesophagus) with swallowing difficulty

Heart disease

Heart failure

Malnutrition

Calling your health care provider
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you think you may be infected with Chagas disease.

Prevention
Insect control with insecticides and houses that are less likely to have high insect populations will help control the spread of the disease.

Blood banks in Central and South America screen donors for exposure to the parasite. The blood is discarded if the donor tests positive. Most blood banks in the United States began screening for Chagas disease in 2007.


15 posted on 03/21/2012 7:17:27 AM PDT by eastforker (Don't be ornery for Romney, instead Root for Newt!)
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To: eastforker; kingattax

He lives in the White Hut and his name is OStinkBugula!


16 posted on 03/21/2012 7:18:39 AM PDT by DarthVader (Politicians govern out of self interest, Statesmen govern for a Vision greater than themselves)
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To: eastforker

I read something years ago about some Indians who had serious infestations of this in Central or South America and had a life expectancy of less them 30 years. They can infest dwellings like bedbugs.


17 posted on 03/21/2012 7:20:18 AM PDT by dog breath
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To: eastforker
This bug was on "1000 Ways To Die".
18 posted on 03/21/2012 7:20:30 AM PDT by jeffc (Prayer. It's freedom of speech.)
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To: eastforker

Texas. Arizona. California.

I see a pattern here.


19 posted on 03/21/2012 7:32:38 AM PDT by txmissy
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To: MHGinTN

Years ago, I was in the boarding area in the Charlotte airport while a flight from Mexico was deplaning. I am guessing they went through customs and such but my eyes went to this woamn with 2 young daughters who were in full bloom of chicken pox that had not scabbed over yet. I walked up to her and said, “Chicken pox?” and she said, No speakee English” and hustled her kids away.

They don’t care what they have or bring over. The more hardship and disease they can vomit on the United States, the better, as far as they are concerned. They are like mini- islam, wanting to de-Americanize this country, steal her resources and turn it into their little hellhole they just left.


20 posted on 03/21/2012 7:35:06 AM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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