Incident in the store: a Vinnytsia resident was bitten by a bug, but it did not pose a danger

In Vinnytsia, a woman was bitten by a bedbug while trying on pants at a second-hand store. She went to the Vinnytsia Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, where she handed over the insect for examination.

An infectious disease doctor initially suggested that it could have been a triatomine bug, known as a carrier of the potentially fatal Chagas disease, which can hurt the heart and nervous system.

However, entomologists found that a dangerous insect did not bite the woman – the pine (seed) bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis. This type of bug feeds on the sap of coniferous trees and does not pose a threat to human health, although its bite can cause discomfort, redness, itching, or an allergic reaction. Most likely, the insect entered the store along with the clothes or during the transportation process.

Thus, the incident ended without serious consequences for the woman.

Reference: Chagas disease
Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is primarily transmitted in Latin America by triatomine bugs, commonly known as “kissing bugs”.

The disease is transmitted through a bite or by contact with the bug’s feces.
In the early stages, symptoms may include fever, weakness, and enlarged lymph nodes.
In the chronic form, the disease can affect the heart, nervous system, and digestive tract.
Without proper treatment, serious complications can occur, leading to death.
Triatomine bugs are not found in Ukraine and Europe, so the risk of infection with Chagas disease is minimal.

Recently, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been reported near the Ukrainian border, specifically in Hungary, which has prompted increased veterinary control in the western regions of Ukraine due to the potential for introducing this disease. The last case of foot-and-mouth disease in Ukraine was recorded more than 40 years ago.