If Your Eye Starts Itching, This Alabama Bug Could Be Why

If you're in Alabama and your eye begins to itch or swells up following itching, you may have come across an endemic threat of a disease according to the CDC.

Andrew Davitt, Entomologist at Cook’s Pest Control, is educating the public about the Triatoma sanguisuga, better known as the kissing bug.

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The name is quite misleading and the "kiss" that comes from this bug doesn't have results as pleasant sounding as its nick name. Right now in the United States, a disease is being classified as an endemic and the reason involves the Triatoma sanguisuga.

This bug is known as the kissing bug, and their diet involves blood meals like bed bugs and mosquitos which helps them reproduce and survive.

In nature, they hide under leaf litter and rocks. In homes, they hide in dark areas like ceilings, and secluded corners.

“Kissing bugs are about a half an inch to an inch long – about the size of a penny,” Davitt explains in the press release. “They have an orange and black alternating pattern, and a long, narrow head. If you think you have kissing bugs, consider calling a pest control company for a thorough inspection and positive identification.”

Why is the Triatoma sanguisuga called a kissing bug? This is where it gets gross.  According to a press release on behalf of Cook's Pest Control, they usually bite near the face, typically around the mouth or eyes. After they feed, they typically defecate near the site of the bite. Since this probably happens while you are sleeping, you may never know you were bitten, as the bite is not painful.

The infection happens when bite victims scratch their face and mistakenly rub the feces into their bite wound. If the bug has Trypanosoma cruzi, the victim can be infected with Chagas disease.

Currently, eight states in the U.S. have reported Chagas disease in humans, with several others reporting wild and/or domestic animal exposure.

Chagas disease can manifest in two phases. The first phase occurs soon after infection, and can cause fatigue, headache, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting.

There are much worse indications of infection. Swelling of the eyelid, liver, spleen, or lymph glands is also an indication of infection. Sometimes, there are no signs at all. If symptoms go untreated, it is likely to progress to the chronic second phase, leading to heart and intestinal problems, which could ultimately be fatal.