Potentially Deadly 'Kissing Bug' Reported In PA

The Centers for Disease Control is warning of a "kissing bug" that bites people around the mouth and is capable of transmitting a potentially fatal disease. The CDC last week confirmed a bite of the the Triatoma sanguisuga in Delaware and has warned that the bugs also have been reported in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

Typically found in poverty stricken areas of Latin America, kissing bugs defecate while they bite people. The defacation contains a parasite that lingers in the heart, tissue and muscles and can lead to Chagas disease. Although the chances of contracting the ailment are low, the CDC warns that it can be fatal by triggering heart failure or stroke.

Initial symptoms may include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache and rash, as well as local swelling where the bite occurred.

In the Delaware case, the family of a girl bitten by the kissing bug last year contacted health officials to identify the insect. The bug was positively identified via a photograph. The girl did not suffer any ill effects, according to the CDC.