Kissing Bugs And Chagas Disease In The U.S. | Texas A&M

THE VECTOR — Kissing bugs

Kissing bugs feed on blood and are active mostly at night (nocturnal). Adult kissing bugs are about 1/2 to 1 inch long. Kissing bugs hatch from small eggs and go through five juvenile (nymphal) stages before they become adults. Some kinds of kissing bugs can live up to two years.

(Photo: Rachel Curtis-Robles)

All kissing bugs feed on blood throughout their lives. Kissing bugs can feed on people, dogs, and wild animals. They feed many times over their lives. When kissing bugs feed, they can take several minutes to take a full meal. Kissing bugs do NOT attach like ticks. Kissing bug bites do not usually hurt the person while they are feeding.

(Photo by Gabriel Hamer)

Kissing bugs live throughout North America, Central America, and South America. In the United States, kissing bugs have been found in 29 states. All shaded states in the map have at least one kissing bug found there. Striped states are those from which we have received submissions to our Community Science Program. In some states, kissing bugs have only been found a few times and are probably rare. Those states are Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Eleven different kinds of kissing bugs are in the United States. Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are the states with the most different species and most findings of kissing bugs. Scientists have found that about 50% of kissing bugs are infected with the Chagas parasite.

(Photo: Gabriel L. Hamer)

Kissing bugs are a 'vector' because they can carry a parasite that can make people and animal sick. The parasite is Trypanosoma cruzi, and it causes Chagas disease. The number of infected kissing bugs varies from location to location.