Trending health stories that prey on the fears of the populace, have been a tried and tested vehicle for building audience or gaining ratings. The latest example of this technique is employed with this article and the possibility of associated symptoms and complications from the bite of the Kissing Bug.
While the Kissing Bug (Triatroma protracta) has long been featured in legend and lore synonymous with the desert West, content has gone viral that the bite (or beak encounter) of the insect is responsible for an exponential growth in number of incidents of Chagas Disease or Sleeping Sickness in dogs and humans in the US. The majority of bug specific news stories include unwarranted terms such as “fear” and “danger” and insinuate that cases of Chagas Disease are rising. These notions are false, and according to experts the presence of the Kissing Bugs species have been residents on the North American continent for thousands of years, along with the presence of Chagas infections. The “bite” from the bug does not guarantee the onset of disease.
In other words, don’t believe everything that is posted on the internet and conduct thorough research.
VIDEO: A Close Encounter With A Kissing Bug
