'Kissing Bug' related to fatal disease confirmed to be in Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - An insect that can pass along a fatal disease and is nicknamed for biting people around their mouths has officially been spotted in Delaware.

The News Journal of Wilmington reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week confirmed arrival of Triatoma sanguisuga, otherwise known as the "kissing bug."

The CDC says the bug has been making its way north from South and Central America. It has already been spotted in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The bloodsucking bugs' bite is often painless, but it can spread Chagas as their infected feces flows through the open wound.

A Kent County family reported their child's face was bitten by a bug last summer, and a subsequent investigation identified the culprit.

You can find more information about Chagas on the CDC's website.