As if there aren't enough things to worry about. A bug has made it's way to Colorado that looks a lot like our Boxelder bugs, but they are not. According to the CDC the "kissing bug", named that because it tends to bite people around their mouth, but scientifically called the triatomine bug, "can carry Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease." Chagas disease is very scary, but the CDC also explains that chances of transmission are rare.

"the transmission of the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite from a bug to a human is not easy. The parasite that causes the disease is in the bug feces. The bug generally poops on or near a person while it is feeding on her blood, usually when the person is sleeping. Transmission of the parasite happens when poop is accidentally rubbed into the bite wound or into a mucous membrane (for example, the eye or mouth), and the parasite enters the body.

It is important to note that not all triatomine bugs are infected with the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The likelihood of getting T cruzi infection from a triatomine bug in the United States is low, even if the bug is infected."

If you have questions about symptoms or what to do if you think you see kissing bugs, read up at the CDC's very informative website.

CDC website- Credit: S. Kjos
CDC website- Credit: S. Kjos
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