If you are using a screen reader and having difficulty please contact the webmaster. The "kissing bug," which can transmit fatal Chagas disease, reported in Colorado, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns. Chronic Chagas disease may result in severe illness. The "kissing bug" – which bites people around their mouth and can pass along the fatal disease Chagas – is making its way north and has been reported in Colorado… Dogs commonly eat the kissing bugs and are at higher risk of infection, according to the Colorado health department. Key aspects of a kissing bug… The family lived in an older single-family home near a heavily wooded area, according to a CDC report. These 12 Bugs Found In Colorado Will Send Shivers Down Your Spine. Colorado Health Information Data Set (CoHID), Local Public Health and Environment Resources, Air Quality - Monitoring, Modeling and Data. It can be spread from mother to baby, by blood transfusion and during organ transplants. You can take precautions against the kissing bug. Kissing Bugs in Colorado Over the last few years, rising concerns have made media coverage on a nationwide level regarding so called Kissing Bugs. There’s a new bug to be on the lookout for in Colorado – the Triatoma Protracta, more commonly known as the “kissing bug.” This bug can transfer single-cell parasites carrying Chagas disease to a human host. , above, is the “kissing bug” most commonly found in Colorado. The disease can be fatal, though the chances of contracting it are low. The most common species in the south-central United States are Triatoma sanguisuga and Triatoma gerstaeckeri, which are each about 1 inch long. Adult kissing bugs, or Triatoma sanguisuga, range from about 0.75 to 1.25 inches in length. A Parasitic Bug Has Been Spotted Throughout Colorado And Its Bite Can Be Deadly. While it sucks your blood, it defecates. That’s because the bug usually defecates after it is off the person. The Colorado Department of Health and Environment is tracking the presence of a blood-sucking "kissing bug" in the state -- and warning people not to touch them. They look similar to a bug Coloradans are very familiar with — the box elder bug. They are also called assassin bugs or cone-nosed bugs. The state health department is working to determine the distribution of kissing bugs and if there are other species in Colorado. The most common bites and stings come from mosquitoes, spiders, bees, wasps, hornets, ants, ticks, mites, chiggers, gnats, and bed bugs. In its feces is a parasite, which finds a home in your tissue, muscles and heart and leads to Chagas disease. Problems with digestion and bowel movement. Kissing bugs are dark brown or black with red or orange spots along the edge of their bodies. If a person contracts the disease, symptoms typically include severe redness, itching, swelling, welts and hives, CDC officials say. If you find a kissing bug, the health department asks that you fill out this form online to submit for identification or call them at 303-692-2700. Colorado does have kissing bugs. An enlarged heart that doesn't pump blood well. 'That's because the bug usually defecates after it is off the person.' Chagas disease (also termed American trypanosomiasis) is an infection caused by a protozoan parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) that can result in acute inflammatory skin changes (chagomas) and eventually may cause infection and inflammation of many other body tissues, especially those of the heart and intestinal tract.The disease was named after Dr. Carlos Chagas, who discovered the disease in 1909. – The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment reports that a species of triatomine bug, known more commonly as kissing bugs, has been confirmed in Colorado. Goes unnoticed because most people have no symptoms or only have a mild illness occurs... 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