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Kissing Bugs Spreading Deadly Chagas Disease In 29 States, Creeping North Kissing Bugs Spreading Deadly Chagas Disease In 29 States, Creeping North
Kissing Bugs Spreading Deadly Chagas Disease In 29 States, Creeping North They bite at night and leave more than an itch.  Kissing bugs capable of spreading the parasite behind Chagas disease have been found in 29 states, and the often-silent infection can turn deadly years later. Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is primarily spread by triatomine “kissing” bugs.  Most infections in the United States were acquired in Latin America, but local transmission does occur in the US, particularly in the South and Southwest where the insects are more common.  The CDC estimates about 280,000 people in the United States are livi…

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by Joe Lombardi
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Dangerous Alpha-Gal Syndrome Can Be Triggered By Tick Bites Dangerous Alpha-Gal Syndrome Can Be Triggered By Tick Bites
Dangerous Alpha-Gal Syndrome Can Be Triggered By Tick Bites A tiny tick bite could trigger a lifelong change to your menu. Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a potentially life-threatening allergy linked to certain ticks — most notably the lone star tick in the United States.  The culprit is a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, found in most mammals but not in humans or primates.  When a tick carrying alpha-gal bites a person, the immune system may respond by producing antibodies that set off allergic reactions to red meat and other products derived from mammals. These reactions can hit hours after eating beef, pork, lamb, venison, or foods and m…

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by Joe Lombardi
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Clone-Creating Tick Invades Connecticut: Public Health Officials Sound Alarm Clone-Creating Tick Invades Connecticut: Public Health Officials Sound Alarm
Clone-Creating Tick Invades Connecticut: Public Health Officials Sound Alarm Connecticut researchers have confirmed the presence of a fast-spreading invasive tick that could pose serious health risks to people and pets across the state. The longhorned tick, originally from eastern Asia, was recently detected during local field studies by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in partnership with the USDA. This marks another step in the tick's rapid expansion through the eastern United States. Since first being found in America in 2017, the longhorned tick has spread to at least 21 states.  “The tick will be a nuisance, and it is spreading,” Kevin Lahm…

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by Josh Lanier
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First Human West Nile Case Of Season Confirmed In Connecticut First Human West Nile Case Of Season Confirmed In Connecticut
First Human West Nile Case Of Season Confirmed In Connecticut It's time to protect yourself from mosquitoes, as the first case of the West Nile virus in a person in the state has been confirmed.  On Friday, Aug. 16, the Connecticut Department of Public Health announced that a New Haven County resident had tested positive for the virus. A woman between 60–69 became ill during the first week of August with a WNV infection and has since recovered, the department said.  “Symptoms include fever, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, rash, or gastrointestinal symptoms for non-neuroinvasive disease, while neuroinvasive signs and symptoms can include high…

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by Kathy Reakes