Bedbugs that bite the mouth and spread Chagas disease arrive in Spain
The triatomine insects are a subfamily of insects that live primarily in South America. Among them, there is a variety known as "kiss bugs" . His affectionate name can be misleading: his goal is to bite the face and peripheral areas to the mouth to draw blood from that abundantly irrigated part.
But, in addition to the obvious external injuries that the bite can cause, there are also other associated dangers. Specifically, this type of bed bugs is capable of transmitting an endemic parasitic disease but until now limited to South America , which stands out for being able to cause serious complications at the cardiac and intestinal level: Chagas disease .
Some experts have come to refer to Chagas disease as the "silent killer" , given that many individuals become infected but do not suffer from its symptoms. One in three, however, develops heart problems, may suffer heart failure and sudden death if the disease progresses and is not detected in time.
According to a new statement by the American Heart Association -AHA- and the Inter-American Cardiology Society, it is being extended to the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe. Bed bugs have appeared in the southern states of the USA and in Mediterranean countries: Italy and Spain , specifically .
And the biggest problem is usually their ignorance, so it is not usually taken into account as a possible diagnosis when their symptoms occur in areas of the planet where the disease was previously nonexistent.
Spain is the third country in Chagas extension outside of South America. ahajournals.org
According to the study, there are around 42,000 individuals with Chagas alone in Spain , 300,000 in the United States and up to 6 million people worldwide.
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Chagas disease is a parasitic infestation , and requires a "vector" or transporter of the parasite , Trypanosoma cruzi . That vector is the kiss bugs , which usually bite - and not "bite" - humans, dogs and other mammals at night, at the level of the face and near the eyes and mouth.
Currently more than 100 species of different triatomines are known , and 12 of them are transporters of the parasite that causes Chagas. However, the infestation does not occur only with the bite. When they eat, these insects defecate right next to the wound they have caused. The parasite is found in its feces , and when the wound is rubbed, the parasite penetrates and causes the infection.
The majority of the infected individuals either do not show symptoms or at most only suffer a swelling of the eyelids . Others experience nonspecific symptoms such as fever, fatigue, body pain, headache or skin rashes .
In more serious cases, it can cause diarrhea or vomiting . And in a small percentage of cases , complications are found, leading to a "swelling of the heart" (cardiomegaly) or "swelling of the brain" that can lead to death .
The problem is not so much the initial phase as the early detection of the parasite , since if left untreated, the disease becomes chronic , and in the long term up to 30% of the infected develop complications .
Other ways to become infected with Chagas
Biting is not the only known way to get the infection. It is now known that the parasite can also be transmitted through blood transfusions , donation of organs and even pregnant women to their children .
Chagas disease has been considered a "neglected" parasitosis , although in some of the countries of origin it has managed to paralyze its extension. In Chile , for example, it has stopped significantly, although new forms of blood circulation are a cause for concern.
On the other hand, the new statement from the AHA admits that estimates of globally infected individuals should be improved, given that there are places on the planet where the disease is not taken into account and, therefore, its possible diagnosis is not even sought, nor of course treatment.
Likewise, to conclude, they also suggest that it is necessary to improve the used drugs, looking for the minimum toxicity and side effects, in addition to increasing their effectiveness and their possible use even in pregnancy.
