''Triatoma sanguisuga'', also known as the Eastern Bloodsucking Conenose or the Mexican Bed Bug, is an

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

of the Triatominae subfamily, known as kissing bugs. It is found throughout North America and

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

, and is common in the Southeastern United States. They are generally 16 to 21 mm long, black or dark brown, with six reddish-orange spots along each side of a wide abdomen. They are

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...

ed, have kinked, six-segmented antennae, and have a slender, tapered

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elong ...

used for feeding. The female ''Triatoma sanguisuga'' typically lays eggs 4 to 6 days after a blood meal. One female may lay hundreds of eggs in its lifetime. After the egg hatches, the immature bug takes a blood meal and molts 8 times before reaching maturity. ''Triatoma sanguisuga'' feeds on blood from mammals such as raccoons, rats, dogs, cats, and humans. In addition, tree frogs can be a significant source of food. ''Triatoma sanguisuga'' can be controlled in the home by using screens on all windows and doors, and sealing all cracks in walls and ceilings. In addition, vacuuming and general cleaning will help remove a suitable habitat for the bugs. __TOC__

Chagas disease

''Triatoma sanguisuga'' is a known vector for ''Trypanosoma cruzi'', a zooflagellate protozoan that inhabits the blood and causes

Chagas disease Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by ''Trypanosoma cruzi''. It is spread mostly by insects in the subfamily ''Triatominae'', known as "kissing bugs". The symptoms change over the cou ...

. An estimated 6 to 8 million people are currently infected with Chagas disease, primarily in South America. There are currently around 28,000 new cases of Chagas disease annually, a significant decrease from 700,000 new cases diagnosed in 1990. Like other species of kissing bugs, ''Triatoma sanguisuga'' is known to bite humans in the face, usually around the mouth or eyes, and feed off the blood. This normally occurs during sleep. These bites are usually not particularly painful, but they are irritating. It is common for the sleeping victim to scratch or rub their face near the bite, which may cause any feces deposited by the insect to enter the site of the bite. If the insect is infected with ''Trypanosoma cruzi'', this can infect the human and cause Chagas disease. However, ''Triatoma sanguisuga'' does not defecate while feeding as does the South American ''

Triatoma infestans ''Triatoma infestans'', commonly called winchuka or vinchuca in Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Chile, barbeiro in Brazil, chipo in Venezuela and also known as "kissing bug" or "barber bug" in English, is a blood-sucking bug (like virtually a ...

'', making it much less likely to transmit the pathogen ''Trypanosoma cruzi'' to its human hosts. Even so, at one location in Louisiana, 40% of ''Triatoma sanguisuga'' were found to contain the pathogen ''Trypanosoma cruzi'', and 38% of these had fed on humans. In neighboring Texas, though, human blood has rarely been detected in any species of ''Triatoma''. In the United States, documented vectorborne cases of Chagas disease are rare. There have been a total of 7 cases of human infections from any species of ''Triatoma'' reported in Texas, California, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10702264 Reduviidae Insect vectors of human pathogens Hemiptera of North America Insects described in 1855