GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A research team with UF Health is currently looking for Robert Hutchinsons' unwanted neighbor: the kissing bug.
“The most recent one I've seen was under my pillow one morning,” he said.
Dr. Norm Beatty with UF Health says their kiss is like a mosquito bite on steroids.
“They'll invade your home and while you're sleeping, they will take a blood meal from you. Or they give you a kiss on the face,” Dr. Beatty explained.
A kiss goodnight that has sent Hutchinson's next door neighbor to the doctor.
“His whole side of his face swelled up and it's clear that it was something more than a mosquito bite,” Hutchinson added.
With hearing about how more patients are coming in with kissing bug bites, Hutchinson has volunteered to turn his home into a research facility. All to come up with more ways to keep the nightcrawlers out of homes throughout northern Florida.
“And it's pretty much impossible to keep bugs out of your house, especially these guys because they are cryptic and only move at night,” said Hutchinson.
Dr. Beatty's biggest concern is the possible infections kissing bugs may give to humans.
One in three kissing bugs carries Chagas disease and has the potential to do serious damage to your heart or brain.
But UF Health experts say it's not the kiss from the kissing bug that can infect an animal or person with the parasitic disease.
“A bug will poop when it's biting you and sometimes their feces will get into your mucus membrane, in your face or into your skin, but also having insects inside your home, this bug can defecate somewhere in your house,” added Dr. Beatty.
Which is why he recommends sealing off your home to the outdoors after the sun goes down.
“If people leave their windows open these bugs can fly, especially the adults and they can fly right into your windows,” Dr. Beatty said.
A small change that will help homeowners like Hutchinson avoid an unwanted visit to the doctor's office.