Blood-sucking assassin bugs spreading Chagas disease in U.S. from Latin America – San Antonio Headlines | Examiner.com

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Blood-sucking insects, carried into the United States from Latin American immigrant regions to the border states, may be contributing to a rise in Chagas disease and more than 300,000 people with related infections living in America.Many of these insects, referred to as “assassin bugs,” are widespread carriers of a deadly parasite that causes Chagas disease according to a study just released from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Wednesday. Researchers conclude that the threats to humans contracting the disease may be higher than formerly believed.

These assassin bugs drop feces on humans while filing up with blood, whereas mosquitoes transmit diseases like malaria from their bite. The feces, containing the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), often penetrates the bloodstream through the bite wound they make. The T. cruzi parasite can then affect the heart and gastrointestinal systems.

Read More: Blood-sucking assassin bugs spreading Chagas disease in U.S. from Latin America – San Antonio Headlines | Examiner.com

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