Potentially deadly ‘kissing bugs’ are in peak season. What this means for KY

In contrast to its romantic name, the “kissing bug” is a deadly parasite-carrying insect found in South, Central and North America — including Kentucky.

The primarily nocturnal bug, scientifically known as the Triatoma Sanguisuga, commonly carries the parasite that may infect an individual with Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease can be fatal, the World Health Organization said, causing heart and digestive or neurological alterations in the chronic stage.

The Center for Disease Control deemed Chagas endemic to 21 countries in the Americas including the United States in September of 2025.

T. cruzi parasites are transmitted to humans typically when an infected “kissing bug” bites the face of a sleeping person and defecates or urinates near the bite, WHO said about the bug. The individual typically rubs the infected feces or urine into the wound when touching their face.

The parasite can also be transmitted through childbirth, blood transfusions, laboratory accidents, eating infected food or certain organ transplants such as heart or kidney.

What is Chagas disease?

The disease has two main stages: acute and chronic. The initial acute stage happens shortly after infection, the Herald-Leader previously reported. During the acute phase, which lasts about two months, infected individuals may be asymptomatic or have mild, non-specific symptoms.

Common acute symptoms:

• fever
• headache
• enlarged lymph nodes
• muscle pain
• unusually pale skin
• difficulty breathing
• swelling
• abdominal or chest pain

Less commonly, infected individuals may show symptoms characteristic of the Chagas disease itself such as a skin lesion or a purplish swelling of one eyelid.

How common are Chagas disease deaths?

If left untreated, the acute phase leads to a chronic infection, which can also be asymptomatic for years in some cases. In up to 30% of patients, the National Institute of Health said progression of the chronic infection over the years can lead to cardiac arrest, gastrointestinal disease or both.

As of April 2026, WHO estimated there to be 8 million people worldwide infected with the Chagas-carrying parasite, leading to over 10,000 deaths each year.

How is Chagas disease treated?

Treatment for the disease is effective in killing the parasite and curing the patient of Chagas if obtained in the acute phase. The efficacy of the treatment depletes the longer the disease goes untreated.

Chagas can be treated with antiparasitic medicines benznidazole or nifurtimox, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Nifurtimox works to damage and break down the DNA of the T. cruzi parasites, according to the NIH. It was approved for administration to children under the age of 18 in 2021. The FDA has not yet approved the medicine for adults.

Once the disease has reached the chronic stage, antiparasitic medications do not cure the disease and the treatment plan shifts to relieving symptoms rather than the disease itself.

Testing for Chagas disease can be done through a lab test checking for antibodies against the parasite in the patient’s blood.

Where are the Kentucky ‘kissing bugs’?

The eastern bloodsucking conenose, a species of the kissing bug, resides in Kentucky, according to previous Herald-Leader reporting.

Conenoses, similarly to other kissing bug species, can be found in warm, moist environments, and may feed on humans, dogs, cats, frogs and other animals. The bugs are most active during the warmer months, typically May through October, Dr. Stephen Klotz of the University of Arizona Health Sciences said, but their peak activity is found in Southern states from May through July.

Measures can be taken to reduce the risk of kissing bugs making their way into your home, according to the University of Kentucky’s Entomology department.

• Seal cracks around windows, walls, roofs and doors.
• Repair broken window or door screens.
• Repair holes or cracks in attics and crawl spaces.
• Keep a close watch on your pets and check for the bugs where pets sleep or rest.
• Pest-proof any spaces you deem necessary especially if you live near a wooded area.

If you find what seems to be a kissing bug, pest control advises not to touch the bug with bare hands and not to squish the bug, as you may become exposed to the T. cruzi parasites.