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Viral Video on ‘Kissing’ Bug Warns Against Dangers of Chagas Disease

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Tony Maples Photography

 

A public information video regarding the Assassin bug (a.k.a. the “Kissing” bug) has been posted on the Nameless.tv Facebook account and it has many people talking. The video is comprised of photos of the bug together with details on where it’s most heavily concentrated in the US and what the threat is that it can carry.

Chagas disease is traditionally recognized as a tropical parasitic disease, and its known to be spread by the Assassin bug. Its symptoms can change throughout the course of infection, if contracted, and can range from fever, headaches, and swollen lymph nodes to local swelling at the location of a bite by such a bug. After 8–12 weeks of carrying the infection, some individuals can enter the chronic phase of Chagas disease, however in 60–70 percent, it fails to produce further symptoms. The extremely strange part, however, is that in the other 30 to 40 percent of people carrying it, it can develop into further symptoms 10-30 years afterward, including an enlargement of the heart ventricles, leading to possible heart failure.

The video on Nameless.tv’s Facebook page has stirred up some debate amongst viewers regarding the dangers of the bug and whether precautionary measures should be taken when one crosses your path. Known as the “Kissing” bug due to its proclivity to bite victims around the mouth area, the Assassin bug and its possible dangers are truly something to consider if you live in one of the states it favors (Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona). Pets are also not precluded from contracting Chagas disease, as the video has noted to date that 400 dogs in the state of Texas alone have succumbed to it. Video producers advised that upon seeing an Assassin bug, your only recourse is to stay far away from it to avoid any potential risk.

Sources:

Nameless.tv Facebook Account

Wikipedia