How a Kissing Bug Becomes a Balloon Full of Your Blood | Deep Look

A kissing bug gorges on your blood. Then it poops on you. And that poop might contain the parasite that causes Chagas disease, which can be deadly. Without knowing it, millions of people have gotten the parasite in Latin America, where these insects live in many rural homes. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the saliva of some kissing bugs in the U.S. can give you a dangerous allergic reaction.

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Kissing bugs live in the Americas, where around 130 species feed on humans, wild animals like wood rats, and on dogs, chickens and pigs.

In Latin America, five species of kissing bugs are largely responsible for infecting around 6 million people with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that causes Chagas disease. The parasite enters people’s bodies when they rub the poop of an infected kissing bug into the bite wound or their eyes.

Most never get sick, but up to one-third develop heart disease that can kill them. Pregnant women can pass the parasite onto their babies.

--- What are signs you’ve been bitten by a kissing bug?
The bite is painless and frequently invisible, though it might swell up. Kissing bugs often bite near the eyes or mouth, but they’ll dig in anywhere.

If the bite victim rubs infected bug poop into their eye, it might puff up into the sign of Romaña.

Infection might cause fever, headache, cough, or abdominal pain, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

--- What are other names for kissing bugs?
They’re referred to as triatomines and also known as chinche besucona, vinchuca, pito and barbeiro.

--- In what countries do people contract Chagas?
Chagas is regularly transmitted in 21 countries in Latin America.

In the U.S., where kissing bugs very rarely transmit Chagas, researchers estimate that some 350,000 Latin American immigrants contracted the parasite in their home countries, where the bugs live inside houses and in animal coops.

--- What is the treatment for Chagas?
Two medications can kill the parasite.

“The earlier you treat people, and the younger the person is, the better the chance of preventing development of heart disease,” said Dr. Caryn Bern, at the University of California, San Francisco.

--- In what states in the U.S. do kissing bugs live?
Texas, New Mexico and Arizona are the states with the most findings of kissing bugs, according to Texas A&M University.

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#kissingbugs #Chagas #deeplook

[JemZard]

Kudos to the guy who sacrificing his own arm for this video.

[Action_]

Welcome to the another episode of
"The more you know, the less sleep you get"

[notimportant]

“The kissing bug will suck anymore that’s not covered” this is why kids think blankets can protect you from anything

[noctusviolet]

Hi, I'm from Brazil and recognized the name of the bug when you mentioned "barbeiro". We are aware of those bugs and always be careful to seal our windows and protect our homes with heating venom, it's in a safe height so animals don't bump into it. We learn about this bug at school, also getting to know many other insects and diseases, to take precaution on it. The most common state to have it, is Amazon, even though it can be easily found on warm areas, like northeast, where I live. But I'm safe though, haha

[Lugmillord]

"This bug could kill you. So let's watch it suck blood from a real person."

[aquilia]

Salute to the person who let this bug "kiss" their poor arms T.T

[VictorbrineSC]

What's worse is that unlike ticks or mosquitos, these are relatively... big for a bloodsucking insect...

[lp]

Noooo! This one is my worst nightmare, a mix of bedbug and tick!!! 5 minutes before I just didn't know of its existence and was so happy...

[cinnamon]

I almost died from this bug twice in the past 3 years. Got my whole body inside and out covered with severe allergic reactions. Even the airway to my lungs was affected causing me to suffocate. Really glad that the hospital is somewhat near our house.

[thesadtoast]

'It can literally kill you!'

The guy: So, I just let it feast on my arm, anyway...

[froghaven]

Imagine having a water balloon fight and someone throws this at you XD

[MountSpacely]

I honestly don’t appreciate how I’ve never knew of the existence of these things in my life until a year ago, and I thought they were just beetles. I’ve had a lot of phases of insects come and go around the house, and I blame the pest control for it. I miss the huge prehistoric looking beetles, but anyway, for the first time ever, these started to appear a year or so ago and would accumulate in the masses on my laundry room window. None ever made their way inside, but hearing that they can potentially “kill” you is — smh. A video about them just chilling comfortably in my reccs all of a sudden is weird too, lol.

[LogicalMan]

Wow, this bug really does add insult to injury

[flornapanopio]

Watching these late at night is unavoidable, I love these documentaries!💙

[momouwu]

4:13 ouch buddy. Mousey is looking spikey over here

[dar.kat.]

You’re videos are so interesting! I usually get bored when anybody else tries to tell me these things…

[raccoonchild]

They call them 'kissing bugs' in the US? Why? It makes them sound so friendly 😂. I vastly prefer 'vinchuca'.

[sadsensations]

We don't need vampires when we have kissing bug. Shudders...

[zodiaczone]

The fact that a Deep Look video can make you awe in fascination but also give goosebumps comes to show that they are doing it with passion. I love it ❤

[alyssndragnel]

Nossa só percebi dps de que inseto tavam falando, aqui no Brasil ele é bem conhecido como barbeiro, as pessoas tem muito medo dele mas todo mundo acha que a doença de chagas podia ser passada só pela mordida(inclusive eu) muito bom conteúdo ajuda a informar as pessoas sobre o real perigo que é esse animal