Kissing or Assassin bugs abroad and while traveling: are they dangerous, where do you encounter them, where can you see them?

What are assassin bugs?

• Assassin bugs (reduviidae) are a family of predatory bugs that hunt other bugs or feed on animal fluids instead of plant sap.
• Kissing bugs (triatominae) are a subfamily of assassin bugs that feed on blood, including human blood. 
• Kissing bugs usually live on and around animal nests and burrows; only a few species live in bedrooms. The bite of an average kissing bug is virtually painless and leaves the skin slightly irritated afterward.

Are assassin bugs dangerous?

• Some species within the family 'Triatominae' in South and Central America are dangerous to humans because they can transmit Chagas disease. If you scratch the bite site after being bitten by one of these assassin bugs, you can introduce the bug's feces into your wound, and infection with the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite occurs through this route.
• Some African species, often called giant assassin bugs, can bite very painfully but harmlessly, though they rarely do so. When biting, a strong acid is released under your skin that seems to give the sensation of a red-hot nail in your skin.
• Other assassin bugs are harmless, although they can cause a minor, otherwise harmless pain if you handle them.

Where do you encounter dangerous assassin bugs?

• Kissing bugs infected with the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite have traditionally lived in large parts of South America (particularly in Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, and Bolivia) and Central America (including El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras).
• Due to migration and tourism, the risk of infection is also increasing in the southern United States.
• This 'kissing bug' (or assassin bug, winchuka, vinchuca) also lives in houses, often in large numbers. They are usually large enough to see when they become active in the evening, providing a good reason to choose a different sleeping place.
• African giant assassin bugs are found in large parts of tropical and southern Africa; you run the risk of a bite, especially if they have hidden in your shoe.

What can you do against assassin bugs?

• Because kissing bugs infected with the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite mainly bite people while they are sleeping, sleeping under an impregnated mosquito net is a good preventative measure in those regions.
• Wearing protective clothing and applying DEET is also effective against kissing bug bites.
• Be alert to unhygienically prepared juices and cold drinks; these can be contaminated with kissing bug feces, and the Chagas parasite can be transmitted through drinking.
• You can protect yourself against the bite of other assassin bugs by not leaving them alone and checking your shoes before putting your feet in them (a must in tropical areas anyway).