California

Deadly ‘Kissing Bug' Spreads Into California

The so-called Kissing Bug has made its way into California.

The bug has been linked to killing about 10,000 people a year in the United States. Doctors say the bug is the size of a penny, usually brown or black, and carries a deadly parasite that causes Chagas Disease.

Dr. Misha Leong, an entomologist with the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, said the disease can cause sudden death.

"The Kissing Bug is a group of insects that are known to be blood eaters," Leong said. "They get their name because they crawl on people's faces at night, which looks like they're kissing them to suck their blood."

The Kissing Bug, however, is not known to be deadly in California.

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