MEXICAN BED BUG

KISSING BUG
Triatoma sanguisuga

Taxonomic Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Reduviidae
Subfamily: Triatominae
Genus: Triatoma
Species: T. sanguisuga

Triatoma sanguisuga
Triatoma sanguisuga, also known as
theEastern Bloodsucking Conenoseor
theMexican Bed Bug,is aninsectof
theTriatominae
subfamily,
known
askissing bugs. Like other species in this
subfamily,T. sanguisugais known to bite
and feed off of humans at the mouth
during sleep. This bite is painful and can
cause adverse effects such as swelling,
feelings
of
faintness,nausea,
andvomiting.

Geographic Range and

Habitat
Triatoma
sanguisugais
found
in
the
southeastern United States and throughout
Latin America. This range includes both the
Nearctic and Neotropical regions. It occupies
North America in a range stretching from
Pennsylvania to Florida and as far west as
Arizona.
Triatoma sanguisugais found in terrestrial
and wooded environments where small
mammals live.Wood ratsare the most
common host for these blood sucking insects,
and the rat nests provide a convenient home
for the insects. Large flat rocks, detritus, and
wood piles provide structural support for the
rat nests and safety for the insects because
they can feed, digest, and lay their eggs
within.

Development and
Reproduction

Females and males are polygynandrous; each sex finds multiple

mates during their lifespan. Shorter in comparison to related
insects, the mating time ofT. sanguisugalasts only 10 minutes.
After male fertilization, females migrate to a new territory to
found a new community

Characteristics

Orange-red to yellowish
horizontal markings
Mouthparts relatively
hairless
Pronotum black with
orange-red to yellowish
side and top margins
Tip of scutellum long,
narrow
Distinctive orange-red
to yellowish markings
on wings

Kissing bug and Chagas

Disease
Chagas
disease,
or
American trypanosomiasis,
is
caused
by
the
parasiteTrypanosoma
cruzi. Infection is most
commonly acquired through
contact with the feces of an
infected triatomine bug (or
"kissing bug"), a bloodsucking insect that feeds on
humans and animals.

Symptoms
Chagas disease presents itself in 2 phases. The initial, acute
phase lasts for about 2 months after infection. During the
acute phase, a high number of parasites circulate in the
blood. In most cases, symptoms are absent or mild, but can
include

Fever
Headache
Enlarged lymph glands
Muscle pain
Difficulty in breathing
Swelling and abdominal or chest pain

Symptoms
During the chronic phase, the parasites are hidden mainly
in the heart and digestive muscle. Up to 30% of patients
suffer from

Cardiac disorders
Digestive (typically enlargement of the
esophagus or colon)
Neurological or mixed alterations
In later years the infection can lead to
sudden death or heart failure caused by
progressive destruction of the heart
muscle.

Treatment
To kill the parasite, Chagas disease can be
treated with benznidazole and also
nifurtimox.